Synopsis
by duos-deathscythe
Summary: Eventual 1x2, 3x4, 5xS. Yaoi. After the war, the colonies are rebuilding themselves for a better future. But an "attack" on the Vice Foreign Minister brings the pilots together once again to uncover a conspiracy concerning one of their own, believed dead.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hello everyone. :D I started writing again (obviously)! For the loyal readers of my previous fics, which I am sure by now you saw I deleted, I am sorry. This idea popped into my head recently and I had to write it…but wanted no influence of my previous fics in the ones I plan on updating. If that makes sense. Now on down the road if I can get myself back into that "groove" I may rewrite some and post them. :3 If you guys want me to.

Now, on for the actual notes. Warnings will be given per chapter. Oh…and Relena is not bashed in this fic. */pats Relena* She has earned herself some positive fic time. But there is no HeeroxRelena, for those of you who were just like OMGWTFBBQ! (Arby n the Chief reference…youtube it, it rocks).

This fic takes place after the war, after Endless Waltz, a bit down the road. Oh and it is a weird title, I know...I realized I had no title for this fic when I went to upload it and it asked for one. :P IMPROV FTW!

WARNINGS: Nudity? If that counts. Not graphic. Character death, drama. But don't worry…not all is as seems. And that was not a spoiler, my friends. ;)

**I. Days Gone By**

Bright blue eyes observed the hustle and bustle of the colony L2. Whereas the people were better known for their crimes, dealing in underhanded atrocities, one also had to admit: the people _were _hard workers. All of the colonies seemed to produce a harder working man and woman than that of the people of Earth. A prime example were the Gundam pilots.

"Miss Peacecraft, your words on the situation at hand?"

Relena blinked at the man across the table from herself, slightly embarrassed at her lack of attention. She had not meant to be rude to the officials before her.

"I believe that your ideals are very much worth considering for the prosperity of this particular colony. I am well aware of some of the financial difficulties as well as the…reputation this colony possesses. It is a shame that your people suffered so much during the wars and there was nothing that could be done." She smiled, "I am glad things are finally turning for the better. It has taken years, with many casualties, but I am pushing for a time when we can finally proclaim that their deaths were not in vain. The colonies are truly going down the road they were originally intended for."

Her small speech had been meant to solidify their plans, to help them see that she was behind them one hundred percent. Their solemn reactions were a shock to her.

"Some for a better cause than others. The people are still mourning the less than heroic death of _our_ very own Gundam pilot."

Relena wanted to kick herself. She had intended for her words to bring hope, not bring up horrible memories.

"I…hadn't meant for it to be taken that way. Duo Maxwell was an amazing person, a hero. L2 had every right to be proud of him." Her eyes narrowed, a scowl marring her petite features, "But some people cannot be won over by peace or the promise of order and success. All they know and want to live by is pure chaos."

She recalled that fateful day very well. She still remembered the reports. During the war, the Gundam pilots were revered as mortal Gods, indestructible beings, _children_, that risked their lives to save those who cared nothing for them. They had retired as war heroes, parting ways as friends and comrades. It was a sad thing that happened, and Relena was truly regretful that she had never gotten to know Duo better.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to bring up such things."

The man who had been talking to her at the far end of the table stood, removing his glasses and dropping them onto a stack of papers, "I understand, Miss Peacecraft. Perhaps it would be best if we rescheduled our meeting."

Relena sighed. She understood that she had struck a nerve amongst the people before her and they had every right to be upset. However the issues they were discussing were delicate. They needed to be addressed and put into action as soon as possible.

"Yes. That will be fine." She stood, gathering her own documents and opening her shoulder bag, "You are more than welcome to join me for breakfast in the morning as well. It was a shame that my flight arrived late this morning and we were unable to get together sooner."

The bureaucrats gave her sincere smiles, "That would be most pleasant."

Relena nodded and straightened her suit, grateful for the ease in tension. It hadn't been much but it helped. She pulled a cellular phone from her pocket, switching the sleek device on and dialing a familiar number.

"Hello James. Yes, we are finished here for now." She paused, listening to the person on the other line, "No, that will be all. Thank you James."

It had been a shame when Pagan retired early due to minor arthritis in his right hand. He had been in pain, Relena could tell, though he would not admit it. He had not wanted to quit but she insisted he do so, along with offering him medical coverage for anything he ever needed. He had been a dear friend of hers from a very young age, doing anything she had wanted and then some. Even going with her own stories as to not get in trouble with her parents, the Dorlians.

Hands were shaken and more papers shuffled as the group prepared to leave the room. They filed out slowly, still enjoying the company of one another despite the drop in mood. Relena stopped at the main door of the building, saying her final goodbyes to the people she had come to know over the years in her role as Vice Foreign Minister. Someone held the door open for her as she exited, her limousine in sight with James awaiting her right at the curb.

The sudden commotion from the crowd around her, as well as the wide-eyed expression that appeared on James' face had her on alert and she followed their stares into the sky behind her. Her breath hitched in her throat upon seeing a very small aircraft appear from behind the building, way below legal altitude limitations, and slowly hover in her general direction. Relena stood her ground, tightening her grip on her bag even as local authorities whipped out their pistols and radios to call the unusual craft in. It's shadow came to fall over her limousine and James was immediately to her side, mumbling that they should step away quickly. But Relena was not going to be threatened by whatever this was. Terrorist threat or not.

Abruptly a compartment on the ship's belly opened, but it wasn't a missile or any other kind of explosive that was released. There was movement inside and something pale emerged from the shadows and fell like a rag doll to the colony below. Relena was startled to recognize the form of a human plummet onto the top of her limousine, at the same time the ship activated its thrusters and took off. She didn't hear the gunfire nor the explosions as the ship exited the colony via wall, people were screaming, and the hum of machines as the hole internally repaired itself. Her eyes were transfixed on the figure lying in the mess of shrapnel and glass, the long snake of a chestnut braid draped over the ledge of the small crater with the naked body at its center.

She didn't need to call authorities. She knew that had already been taken care of by other witnesses. She did yank out her cell phone and dial yet another familiar number.

The voice that answered on the other end was carefree, soft and welcoming. It did nothing to cease her panic, fear, and that feeling she got right before she knew that she was going to be sick.

"H-Heero, something happened---"

"What is it, Relena? Are you alright?"

He was beginning to sound scared as well.

"No. Heero it's _Duo. Duo _is-is-is-is on my car. Someone dropped _Duo _from a space ship onto _my car_!"

AN: So, so, what you think? Let me know! How be my "comeback"? -_-; And reviews to tell me that I suck have to be a minimum of 10 words and must be constructive. RR 3


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Chapter 2 of my newest "first" fic. :3 Thank you (all four of you) for your reviews of my first chapter thus far. I did change the genre of the story, thinking that drama suited it more than suspense. I also considered changing chapter names but I don't want to make all of these changes and mess something up. :P

I actually have 5 chapters typed up but I don't want to update all at once as to keep you guessing and in case I need to change something. I do know the direction I want this story to go though. I am hoping it makes for a better story. :D

WARNINGS: Cursing. I don't recall if there were any in this chapter but I will throw it out there anyway. I don't think anything is misspelled or misgrammared (ß like that :P). I reread it to make sure but I am sure you all know how it goes…read your own stuff hundreds of times and you will never see anything but the first time someone does it's right there Captain Obvious.

L I cut my index finger open on a can so typing is a little funky. Hope that in itself didn't cause any mistakes. lol

**II. Reunion**

The press arrived in the area faster than backup reinforcements had for the police. The civilians were loitering, gossiping, gathering, taking pictures of what had happened. Of the unresponsive body of the ex-Gundam pilot, Duo Maxwell, whom had been pronounced _dead_ two years ago. Whom had been cremated, whose ashes had been scattered in space.

Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft, Vice Foreign Minister of the Earth and colonies, had been ushered back into the building and she couldn't stop herself from emptying the contents of her stomach into the nearest potted plant. She held the cup of water that had been shoved into her hand in loose fingers, not trusting herself to keep it down. Her other hand pressed a tissue to her mouth and she wished that she could just curl up behind it and hide from the reality of what had just occurred. She had called Heero and told him what had happened. That Duo Maxwell was _alive_---if you could call it that.

An ambulance pulled up and an army of medical personnel rushed out, pushing by the police that were trying to hide the body from onlookers. They checked the more serious of injuries---Relena couldn't decipher much through the glass windows---talking amongst one another, and then oh so carefully lifting Duo from his would-be grave and lying him on a stretcher. They covered him up as they wheeled him to the ambulance and Relena briefly caught a glimpse of them hooking him up to all kinds of machines before the doors closed and the vehicle drove off with a squeal.

She knew what she had to do. Heero had told her that he would try to contact the others. They would be coming to L2 as soon as they were able. In the meantime…she had to avoid the media and get to the hospital.

"…James…" she choked, the first word spoken to her butler since the accident.

"Yes, Miss Relena? What do you need?" he responded quickly.

He had obviously been shaken up by the ordeal as well.

She needed to keep a level head, for both of their sakes, "I need to find a ride to the hospital. I have to make sure that that man is alright."

A nicely dressed gentleman approached her, holding out a hand, "I will take you if you wish, Vice Foreign Minister."

Relena didn't have the heart to smile.

"Thank you, so much."

**********

He had taken a cab to the space port, abandoning it halfway through the city of New York with a fifty dollar bill to foot it the rest of the way. And now Heero stood amongst a multitude of people in his Preventers uniform, eyes scanning, searching for the faces he knew. Several thoughts were going through his head, most of which he would rather not dwell over. He was comforted upon seeing a head tower over the populous.

"Trowa!" he called, waving an arm to get the other's attention.

Trowa stopped, jade eyes scanning and landing on the other former Gundam pilot. He cut through the people, careful with the single duffel bag tossed over his arm.

"Hello Heero. Has Wufei arrived yet?"

"No. Him and Sally should he arriving shortly. They had been out on an assignment when I had called them."

He himself had been in his office, typing up a report when he had received the grim message from Relena.

"How could this be? After two years…Heero, we _saw _the body---"

"We saw _a body_. There had been no significant remains to be able to identify and link it to be Duo's." Heero snapped quickly.

Again, he did not want to think about it at that time.

"Yuy! Barton!"

Heero saw Wufei first, dragging a panting Sally behind him. Both of them were still in uniform as well.

"Have either of you seen the news? Damned vultures. No respect at all." the Chinese man growled.

Heero didn't even want to know, "Come on. We have a private shuttle waiting for us in hangar three. We need to get to L2 as fast as possible."

He wasn't as careful managing through the assembly as Trowa had been. He cleared a path for himself and the others, borderline running, keeping his mind focused on the door ahead. Witnessing their status as Preventers, the flight attendants allowed them to board the plane quickly and within minutes the shuttle was launching from the ramp and shooting for outer space.

"When did you talk to Quatre?"

Trowa was the first to break the silence. This was the first time he had seen his old comrades in a year and a half. He wished that it had been on better terms.

"Quatre was the first one I called. I figured it would take him the longest to get to L2. He had been in a meeting. I let whomever answered the phone know that it was an emergency." Heero whispered, barely audible to he other occupants of the ship.

"Does anyone know what in the hell happened?" Sally suddenly exploded, slapping a hand on her knee.

Heero shook his head, "I don't know. Relena called me, upset. She said that a space ship had just tossed Duo onto her car and took off. Besides gathering what I could from the news reports, that is all I know."

"But his funeral---"

"It's like I told Trowa," Heero interrupted Wufei, "we saw a body. The autopsy was for _a body_. We all assumed it was Duo because it was in his aircraft, in _his _clothes, with _his _ID. Obviously is wasn't Duo that we mourned for."

The room went silent. Even the nervous looks given to them from the stewardesses went unnoticed. It was Wufei who broke the silence, going a different route from his previous attempt at a comment.

"You need to check yourself, Yuy. We are all unsettled by what has happened. You are not the only one who is confused, angry, or hurt. We will find out exactly what happened when we are allowed to see Maxwell and ask him ourselves."

"If he is even well enough to speak. Judging from the news he may not even be able, much less willing, to talk about what happened." Sally intervened.

She had not known Duo nearly as well as the three men before her. But she did see many traumas in her days as a medical officer. After all of this Duo could be in one or more of diverse conditions. One would only know when the man regained consciousness.

"It's just…I still can't even believe this. Where has Duo been all of this time? Who has he been with? And who _was _in that craft that exploded? Who was it we had cremated?" Trowa muttered, brows knit.

He had voiced all of their thoughts. None of it had made sense. Everything they had come to know had been a lie. Duo Maxwell had been the center of it too…they all remembered how much Duo hated lies.

AN: I hate my laptop with a passion. Just noticed that my W, A, S, and D keys are kind of faded from playing World of Warcraft. :0

Look me up on Ravenholdt if any of you play! Horde girl, btw, sorry if I offend (not really).

Alestoblant, Veles, Briegor, Jahi, Maderowan, Lothaenorix…and a couple of others I have yet to even enter in-game yet. :P

. And don't make fun of me for not being to well geared…I have ADD and run off to do other things several times.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Chapter three. :D Betcha thought I wouldn't update regularly didn't you?! DIDN'T YOU?!?!?!111ONE

Anyway. I am not all to familiar with hospital and police procedures so no complaining if I got something wrong in this chapter or the next. :D Thank you all for your reviews!

Eye heart you! :3

WARNINGS: Cursing? I think that's it.

**III. Familiar Faces**

Limousines awaited them when they arrived on L2, right outside of the station. A police escort was also available upon request from the Vice Foreign Minister herself. Mobs still lined the streets discussing the event, their curiosity elevated upon seeing three other ex-Gundam pilots arrive. Two of whom were in Preventer uniforms. The trip to the hospital was a short one; the roads were cleared for the escort, and when they finally pulled up to the hospital doors Heero was the first one out. He all but sprinted inside the building, demanding to know where Duo had been taken. The shaky receptionist at the desk informed them that he was in intensive care at the moment and they were more than welcome to have a seat in the waiting room.

The offer wasn't good enough, but it had to due. The four of them were led through several doors, finally coming to a stop in their assigned area. Two officers stood outside the door, observing them as they got closer. They nodded to the assistant and stepped away from the door. Heero was the first one in: Heero was the first one with an armful of a sobbing Relena.

"Oh, Heero. It was horrible." she cried, burying her head in his chest.

Slowly his hands came to rest on her trembling shoulder, "It's alright, Relena. We're here now. Tell us what happened."

She looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. Heero guided her over to a line of empty chairs, sitting down, and was followed by the others.

"I was finishing up talking about the future of this colony with its officials…I went outside to leave and a ship flew by and just…tossed him out. Oh Heero he looked so bad…" She burst into more tears, "That is it. I called you and I came here."

"Here, Heero…" Sally offered, outstretching her hands.

Heero edged Relena closer to her and she attached herself to the other woman. Sally wrapped her arms around her as she would an upset child, "Shhh, it's okay."

Heero took the freedom to hold his head in his hands. No one really had anything else to say. Besides brisk encounters between Heero and Wufei in their line of work, none of them had spoken in a long time. What was there to say? The last time they had all been together like this, minus Quatre, had been at Duo's funeral. Nothing much had been said then either.

"Oh, Duo…" Heero whispered, clenching his eyes closed.

Wufei must have heard him. He felt a friendly hand on his shoulder as a means of comfort.

It did nothing to chase away the trepidation in his heart.

**********

"Mr. Winner! A word, please!"

"Mr. Winner, what are you opinions on the situation at hand?"

"Mr. Winner, please say _something_!"

Quatre had developed a particular tactic early on in his line of work. With his old status as a Gundam pilot as well as having inherited the vast majority of his father's inheritance, on top of that having a hand in some political affairs, news reporters were constantly approaching him and monitoring his every move. He found that if he didn't talk to them they would eventually leave him alone for the time being. Kind of like an 'It won't see me if I don't move' approach. The flashing bulbs from various cameras followed him all the way to the hospital. He was relieved to see that the police were heavy in the area, keeping them away from the hospital especially.

"Duo Maxwell, please." he stated, coming up to the receptionist.

The woman sputtered, obviously recognizing him, "Mr. Winner! Several people have already come by to see Mr. Maxwell. He is in critical condition at the moment and they are currently in the waiting room. You are more than welcome to go there as well. It's down that hallway. Y-You will see the officers at the door."

She had a blush lighting her cheeks and she wouldn't make eye contact.

Quatre smiled at her, "Thank you, ma'am. I am very grateful for your help. You are doing a marvelous job."

Her blush deepened and she finally met his smile. Quatre waved at her as he walked in the direction she had pointed and nodded to the guards. They didn't stop him, even holding the door open, and he entered, taking in the sight of his old comrades.

Trowa was the first to meet his gaze, "Quatre."

"Hello everyone. It's nice seeing you after all this time. Though I am sure all of us can agree that it should have been under different circumstances."

It was just like Quatre to have a long, drawn out but incredibly polite greeting. Besides putting on a few pounds the Arab hadn't changed one bit. Fixing his eyes on the more distraught of the group, he gave Relena a small hug.

"I am so sorry Relena. Are you alright?"

Relena nodded from Sally's breast.

"Does anyone know anything yet? Has his condition changed…at all?" Quatre asked as he stood, taking a seat by Trowa.

"Nothing. We haven't been told anything of his condition except that it is bad." Heero was the first to answer.

Quatre blinked, "And it's getting even worse outside. The press is going crazy out there. Especially now that two government executives, five Gundam pilots, and Preventers are here."

Wufei snorted, "Just like them. They don't care that our friend is here, possibly dying."

"It's the exact opposite, as a matter of fact." Trowa started, "Duo is supposed to be dead. It is a miracle that he is still alive, _especially _after what happened in space. He just shows up inexplicably after nothing for two years. Something happened, and I don't think that we have seen the end of it. You can't possibly make me believe that it is pure coincidence that a Gundam pilot supposedly dies, the body completely unidentifiable, and then suddenly reappears as a projectile to the Vice Foreign Minister's personal vehicle."

"You're saying it's a conspiracy?" Heero lowered his hands, cobalt eyes iced to the core.

Relena had become quiet, sniffling, yet still clinging to Sally.

Trowa shook his head, "I don't know what I am saying, exactly. I just know that as a soldier I was trained, and I am sure you all know exactly what I am talking about, to _never_ overlook a gut feeling. Doing so can cost you your life."

A grim silence fell over them all. So it startled the lot of them when a doctor suddenly opened the door, a clipboard clutched in his hand.

"Are you the family of Duo Maxwell?" he asked, taking them all in.

They all shared a look.

"Yes." Heero said quickly, standing and meeting the doctor.

The doctor eyed them suspiciously; almost every one of them had different nationalities after all.

He shrugged, "Mr. Maxwell had been in bad shape when he was brought in. I am amazed, frankly, that he was even still alive. Of course, from what I have heard I am guessing that all of you are amazed that he is alive as well. He was malnourished and dehydrated. There were several contusions all over his body, cuts, broken bones, a dislocated shoulder, and a concussion, which I am assuming most of which was from his fall. Where he was dropped off naked I also administered a rape kit…" There was a collective gasp from the occupants of the room, "…which came to be negative. A few of his cuts will need stitches and he will have to keep off of his legs for a while due to a back injury. I am assuming one of you will be able to administer any care that he may need once he is released?"

That was the eternal question. Between the six of them, they each had their own lives to attend to. Trowa was first out of the picture. Where he was still in the circus the constant moving and, on occasion, being out in the middle of no where would do Duo no good if something were to go wrong. Quatre and Relena each had political responsibilities and were hardly home to begin with. And then Heero, Wufei, and Sally each had very risky jobs within the Preventers. None of them were actually able to fully take care of Duo.

But it was Quatre who stepped forward, "He can stay with me on L4. My home has many rooms and I have plenty of servants who would be more than willing to help. He would never want for anything. If anyone should want to pay a visit there is plenty of room for that too. And, as much as the media wants to get involved with this, my home is very secure and necessary precautions have been taken to avoid such exposal."

The doctor seemed satisfied, nodding, "That is good, Mr. Winner. Now we are allowing one visitor at a time to go back and see Mr. Maxwell. He is still unconscious but you are more than welcome to see him. I know it has been a while since any of you have, after all."

Quatre was the first to volunteer. He had been the closest to Duo, after Heero, during the war and after offering his home to the other pilot he felt a need to see the other man again. No one stopped him. The doctor led him through several doors, the later of which required an ID access card to unlock. They arrived to a room in no time and Quatre had a lump in his throat. He was actually kind of scared about what lie on the other side of this door.

"Go ahead, Mr. Winner. If you need anything just let one of the nurses know."

And the doctor was gone.

Quatre swallowed and carefully, quietly, opened the door. He immediately saw Duo laying on the bed, immobile, with all kinds of tubes and wires connecting him to various machines surrounding him. His leg was in a thick cast, propped up by a wedged pillow tucked underneath his knee as well as a thick bandage around his head. And the closer Quatre got the more noticeable the bruises and stitches became. He sat down in a chair at Duo's bedside.

"Hey there. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

He wasn't expecting an answer. He still observed that heart shaped face as he spoke, looking for any signs of consciousness.

"We were all devastated when we thought you had died two years ago. There were so many people at your funeral…and you had been cremated, just as you had asked."

Quatre couldn't help but feel awkward. He continued.

"Oh Duo, we missed you so much. When Heero called me and told me about you showing up again, I almost didn't believe him. We all thought you were dead." He smiled, "I am glad we have you back. None of us has spoken since your funeral and yet here we all are, Heero and Wufei included, believe it or not. You've brought us back together, Duo. I swear to you we will find out what happened, who did this, and in the meantime…until you have recovered, and even for longer period of time, if you wish…you will be staying with me. You will never need anything ever again. All I ask is that you pull out of this for us. We need you, Duo. You are the one that keeps us together."

Quatre could feel his eyes watering. He had missed Duo so much. He was sure the others did too, even if some of them didn't even admit it.

"I must leave you now, though. Everyone is here for you. Heero, Wufei, Trowa…even Sally and Relena."

The blonde stood, carefully, barely touching the other man, giving him a hug.

"I will send someone else back. It would be rude of me wasting all of the visitation time on myself. I will be here if you need me, Duo."

With that Quatre exited the room as quietly as he had entered, hailing down a nurse to take him to the waiting room and take someone else back. Heero had been next in line.

"Just to let you know…he doesn't look all that great." Quatre warned as he slid by him.

Heero nodded, wordlessly, following the nurse back to Duo. His brow furrowed upon entry of the dimly lit room. The stale smell of medicine and diverse medical equipment wafted in the air. He didn't like it. He had never liked hospitals, especially having being locked down in one only to have Duo save him.

Like a God of Death on white feathered wings.

"Duo…"

Heero didn't know what to say. Whereas he had more of a vocal vocabulary during the war then Wufei and especially Trowa, he had really never said much to Duo outside of assignment or the many times he had cursed his existence and troublesome nature. When the braided idiot had been pronounced dead he had been at the same loss of words.

"Duo, I…" he tried again.

Still nothing. His trained eyes did detect movement, though, and a light went off inside his head. The tremble of an eyebrow. The shudder of a lip.

"Duo…I should have pushed for a further investigation of your death. Trowa reminded me of how off the entire thing seemed. None of us thought nothing of it. We had a body to cremate…"

Heero had never been good at expressing himself. Not as a soldier in the midst of combat or as a man trying to talk his friend out of a coma. He had been absolutely devastated when Duo had…died…two years ago. The war had done horrible things to all of them and Heero had used that as an excuse for his aloofness. You couldn't get hurt if you wouldn't let yourself get close to anyone.

He had been an idiot.

"Duo, I am sorry."

In fact, he had done something right. As those words left his mouth violet eyes snapped open and a scream of absolute terror ripped through the braided man's throat.

"_Get the hell away from me_!"

AN: Reviews? Reviews are deh noms.

=^^=;;;


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Not that I don't love you guys…but I wish I had more reviewers. .**

**I was exploring some of the features added since I last frequented and saw this handy thing where you can see something along the lines of how many people viewed your stuff. I KNOW MORE PEOPLE ARE READING THIS THAN IS REVIEWING. I heart you if you reviewed?**

**3**

**IV. Twice Gone**

The heart monitor exploded with furious blares of beeps, the line on the screen zigzagging like a wild animal trying to outrun a predator chasing it down. Duo clambered like said animal as far away as the tubes would allow from the dark form before him.

"Duo! It's me, Heero!" the other man shouted, wanting to reach out.

He knew that would be a bad idea. You didn't approach an animal that was already cornered. You were liable to get hurt.

The heart monitor betrayed the sudden calm, disbelieving tone that rough voice took, "H-Heero…?"

Heero carefully edged himself closer to Duo, making sure that the other man could see both of his hands and not falsely accuse him, even in that mind of his, that he posed any sort of threat.

"Duo…" he repeated his name, leveling out his voice.

"Heero…" the other replied.

Slowly the heart monitor returned to a more regular pulse.

"Duo, are you alright?"

Duo groaned, collapsing back onto the bed, "I am in a shit ton of pain."

That was the Duo he knew. No obvious mental trauma at this time.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Violet eyes closed, "Last thing I remember…my space ship exploded."

His voice had an odd tinge to it.

Heero softly lay a hand on the brace supporting his wrist, "That is the only thing you remember? Nothing else?"

"No, sir." Duo remarked, and it was then that Heero took a good look at what he was saying.

He hadn't meant for this to be an interrogation.

"Heero…" Duo disrupted his thoughts, "…does anyone know what happened in space?"

Heero shook his head, "Nothing. Last thing the Sweepers heard from you was something about an old, beaten down ship. You were going to salvage it and your connection was cut. After a few hours of no communication they contacted us. I wasn't the one who investigated your disappearance at first but they found your ship in pieces and someone, whom we believed to be you, floating amidst the wreckage. The body was…very similar to yours in appearance and even had your ID and Sweepers uniform."

"Do they know what caused the explosion?" Duo pushed, covering his face with his good arm.

Heero shook his head, "No."

"What about the others? Are they here too?"

"Yes. Quatre was the first to come back to see you. I came in after him."

"Well I'll be damned. 'Fei is here too?"

"Yes. Relena and Sally are here as well. You were dropped off by a sort of aircraft…right onto Relena's vehicle." Heero added, startled when Duo shot up in bed once again.

"What?! Who dropped me off? And is Relena alright?" he snapped.

"No one knows yet. No one got a good look at the craft, with what I have gathered from the news---"

"Aww, man, you mean it was all on the _news_?" Duo groaned, falling back down onto the bed.

"Yes. Quatre said it is pretty bad outside. And Relena is fine, if a little shaken."

Duo sighed in relief, "That's good. Has anyone called Howard? I am sure the old goat will be glad to know I am still alive."

"I had actually forgotten. Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei were my top priority."

"Heero…I don't mean to change the subject or anything, but I have to get out of this hospital." the braided man mumbled, sitting up once again.

He vigorously began trying to disconnect himself from the machines.

Heero tried to stop him, "No, Duo, those are for your own good. You were dehydrated and malnourished, among other things, and---don't take that out!"

Heero slapped Duo's hand when the other tried taking his IV, inciting a hiss of pain, "This coming from the psycho who set his own broken leg? Excuse me!"

The IV was removed anyway and it was no time before they were surrounded by furious beeps and blinking lights. Heero could only glare at Duo.

"Mr. Yuy! Is everything alright?" someone shouted as a herd of nurses filled the room.

"No. This idiot won't stay in bed."

"I am not staying here. I hate hospitals."

Heero pushed him back down onto the bed, this time keeping his hand on his shoulders, "When the doctor releases you, you are more than welcome to go to Quatre's. He offered his home to you and is willing to pay for anything you need. Until then you need to stay here."

"Fuck you, Heero Yuy! I am _not _staying here!" Duo growled, attempting to, failing, to push the other away.

A small pinprick in his arm snapped him out of his drugged rage, "What the hell?"

One of the nurses pulled an empty syringe away, waving it at him as she chastised, "Mr. Maxwell you are in no condition to be doing anything. I am sorry but we had to sedate you before you hurt yourself or someone else."

Duo went limp.

"Son of a bitch."

**********

"Heero! What happened?" Sally prodded as Heero was let back into the waiting room.

The dark haired man sighed, "He woke up and wanted to leave. They had to sedate him."

"How is he?" Relena questioned.

She had stopped crying but her eyes were still red.

"He seems okay. Not at all troubled by what happened."

Wufei rolled his eyes, "Just like him."

"He was very…adamant upon leaving. I have never known him to be that unnerved by hospitals." Heero whispered, taking his seat back.

"Perhaps something happened while he was away that would cause him to panic." Trowa put in, eying Heero down.

The other man shook his head, "No, he said he doesn't remember anything. I believe him."

"He may not remember. It could be in his subconscious." Sally through out there, playing with one of her braids.

"Are they going to allow any more people back there to see him?" Trowa asked.

"I doubt it." Heero responded, exasperated.

"Not to change the subject or anything, but we need to discuss how we are going to handle the press." Wufei cut in, running a hand through the tight knot of his hair.

"All we can do is tell them what we know." Quatre reasoned.

"But what do we know? Duo is alive. That's pretty much it." Heero objected, mimicking Wufei's action.

"Lady Une, more than likely, will want to address this personally." Wufei stated.

Silence fell over them.

Heero opened his mouth to speak but closed it again when the overhead intercom bleeped to life, "Code Adam in intensive care room 247, Code Adam in intensive care room 247."

Quatre slapped a hand to his head, "Please don't tell me…"

"247 is Duo's room number." Heero growled.

"And if I remember correctly…a Code Adam is a missing person." Trowa added, sighing.

AN: Tell me…didn't you expect it? lol

Oh, and as far as some of the stuff in this chapter goes…I am not at all familiar with medical stuff. I did some research and am hoping I am accurate.

I also read that sedatives can vary with people…some can be out in minutes and some can be out in hours. It depends on your chemistry. I am hoping this was also true. :P


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Chapter 5 is up. :3 I appreciate all of your reviews! It's stuff like that that makes writing worth it, in my opinion. 

Oh…and I guess now would be a good time to clarify that I do not own Gundam Wing, the characters, trademark, etc. But I do own this story. I am proud to say. :P 

Oh…AND I have come up with another idea for a fic. I might work on that fic some when I come close to completing this one and put up a chapter. No spoilers though. :3

WARNINGS: Cursing. OOC? I think there is some OOC all throughout this fic. But I am trying to make it like a natural OOC…like what I assume the boys would be like after the war, when they have matured in a normal environment.

**V. The Slums Of L-2**

"What do you mean he was just gone? I watched you give him a sedative."

Heero was trying not to sound pissed. They had all feared the worst upon hearing the Code Adam over the intercom and when a couple of nurses as well as the two guards entered the room their fears were confirmed. Duo was gone. Again.

"We _did_ give him a sedative, sir. Not even minutes after we hooked him back up we got a signal from the machines telling us they had been unhooked once more. When we went in there to check on Mr. Maxwell he was gone. We assume that he escaped out of the window---"

"From the second story? In his condition? The idea is absurd! You'd think that somebody would have noticed a human bandage limping from the premises! What makes you think he was not kidnapped?" Quatre all but shouted.

The nurse taking the brunt of their questions was almost in tears, "I don't _know_, Mr. Winner! We walked in there and he was gone! I monitor the patients' vitals, I don't know where Mr. Maxwell went!"

"You need to calm yourselves. Keeping a level mind at this point is essential in finding Duo. She is right…she couldn't possibly have known the capabilities of a former Gundam pilot. You said he wanted to leave, right Heero?" Relena edged herself to the brunette's side, raising her voice to get through to him, "Who is to say that he didn't fake sedation and leave when he was alone? They don't know any more than we do, Heero. If Duo did escape he can't have gone far with his injuries. This is his colony…where would he go?"

"He…never talked much about this place." Quatre sighed, frowning.

"He grew up on the streets until he was taken in by a church. The church ended up being destroyed. Then he was taken in by Professor G." Heero put in, earning surprised looks from his friends, "I remember him telling me during the war. I paid him no mind at the time."

"Well that church is as good of a place as any to start looking. Do we know where it's at?" Trowa asked.

"Are you talking about the old Maxwell church, sir?" the other nurse piped up and when she received surprised looks she added, "I put two and two together…Mr. Maxwell taken in by a church that was destroyed…the Maxwell church made sense."

"Where is this church?" Wufei questioned.

"You make a left out of the hospital entrance and take Main Street down for several miles. You will eventually come to the old slums. You will be able to see the difference…most of the slums were destroyed just before the war. Then take another left onto Second Street and the ruins of the church is right there. Can't miss it."

"Let's get going." Heero declared, making a beeline for the door, "Relena, you and Sally stay put. From what I heard from Duo, a woman, be that Vice Foreign Minister or Preventer, in the slums is a bad idea. I take it you have a hotel in the area?"

"Yes, Heero, but---"

"Go there. I will give you a call when we find something out."

Relena frowned, "I will. But you guys need to be careful."

"If someone is able to take out four ex Gundam pilots, two of whom are armed, then we have a serious problem." Wufei commented.

"Two men in Preventers uniforms should be enough. I am more worried about getting there without the news reporters tailing us." Trowa snorted.

"Duo managed to do it." Quatre pointed out.

"Then out the window it is." Heero concluded, earning a nervous laugh from the blonde, "Relena, you and Sally leave first. Maybe you will keep their attention and make it a little easier on us."

"Right."

"Take care of my bag, please." Trowa directed to a nurse, handing his shoulder bag to her, "I will be back for it."

Heero glared at another nurse, "Take us to Duo's room. Now."

**********

Their plan had worked perfectly. As soon as Relena and Sally were in sight of the reporters they flagged them down, forming a tight circle around the pair. Relena was calm in answering their questions, not giving out any information that she deemed unfit. Just enough to keep them busy.

Trowa was the first to leap from the window, making it look easy as he landed in a crouch. Quatre was behind him, followed by Heero and Wufei. Once they were a safe distance away they hailed down a cab. Wufei took the passengers seat and when the driver noticed his badge, he didn't object.

"Take us to Second Street."

Heero was just thankful that L-2 was nothing like New York City. The ride took no time and before too long the large skyscrapers were replaced with dingy, collapsed buildings and the local businessman with the streetwalker. Definitely not a place for a woman.

"Here you go, guys." the driver said quickly.

He rattled off a price and Quatre paid him, even throwing in a little extra for his effort.

"You be careful here." the man warned quickly, taking off before any of them could say another word.

"So this is where Maxwell grew up." Wufei observed in distain.

"That must be the church." Heero pointed down the road a bit.

Indeed, the obvious debris of a church lay before them. Stones and burnt wood were scattered everywhere with a large, crooked crucifix looming above.

"Duo!" Quatre called, holding his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice.

The name echoed around them and drew some stares, but no one answered.

"Duo!" Heero mimicked the blonde's actions.

Still nothing.

"Maybe he isn't here." Wufei suggested with an arched eyebrow.

"Where else could he have gone? We'll never find him…" Quatre sighed.

"This is the place he grew up." Trowa gestured around them, "If he does not want to be found, chances are, he won't be. That was probably his mind set then as it is now. He probably thinks we will take him back to the hospital."

"By all means that is where he needs to be. The war is over. No one is going to out of their way to see him killed, especially in a hospital. And for whomever is after him…he will be his safest with us." Heero objected with a glare.

Trowa shrugged, "According to who? You? Maybe Duo doesn't feel that way."

"Duo!" Quatre tried again, voice cracking.

"Think, Yuy…did he say anything else to you during the war about L-2? Any place he could have gone?" Wufei tried as he kneeled on the ground to pick something up that caught his eye.

It was a broken toy, a soldier, half melted at the arm and head. The Chinese man closed his eyes as if reciting a prayer and stuffed the thing into his jacket pocket.

"All I can say is some kind of church. He has always been rather fond of them." Heero answered.

"We can split up and check them all out. As famous as Duo's face is he can't be that hard to miss." Quatre suggested with a shrug.

Heero nodded, "Wufei, you go with Trowa. Quatre, come with me. We will take the east and you two take the west. If you come across any problems or find him, use your radio."

The Chinese man nodded, "Good luck."

"Same to you."

The four parted ways with their respective directions, losing sight of one another as they traversed down the alleys.

"Have you seen a man in bandages come by with a long braid?" Heero asked every person he came across.

He was rewarded with a swift shake of the head each time.

"Are there any other churches in the area besides the old Maxwell Church?" Quatre asked one in particular.

It was a little boy with wild hair and greasy skin, "Yea, da ol' Carpenta's Chu'ach down da road a few mias. It ain't real fance. Guys like ya prolly won' like it much."

It took the two Preventers a couple of seconds to translate what the boy had said in their minds. Carpenter's Church down the road a few miles. Not fancy, like they would be accustomed to. Duo, on the other hand…

"Thank you. Here you go…" Quatre took a wallet out of his back pocket and handed him a few dollars.

The child huffed, "I don' need ya stinkin' handats! But…thanks."

Rough around the edges, but they could tell he was grateful. That would at least be enough to get him something nice to eat.

"Now, where is Carpenter's Church?" Quatre asked softly.

"Is down 'un Carpenta's Street."

Quatre nodded, "Good of a place as any to start. Thanks again."

"No prob, man."

And the child ran off, taking a corner of the alley to sharp and nearly falling. Heero could imagine a braid in his wake, a young Duo aiding two strangers who meant him no harm in their time of need. He never realized how much he had missed the braided idiot those past two years.

"Come on, Heero." Quatre urged, breaking him from his thoughts.

They walked on down the road, carefully reading the street signs through the graffiti and dirt.

"There. Carpenter's Street." Heero pointed at the warped sign on the corner.

They turned down the road, keeping to the sidewalk. Children became more common the further down they strolled. Quatre stopped him and pointed.

"That must be the church."

Indeed, this one was much better off than the Maxwell Church. It was fenced in with more children playing in the yard, younger than the ones they had already come across. The bricks were a deep brown, as were the shutters and shillings, and the windows still vibrant with stained glass. Two nuns stood in the courtyard watching the children. They frowned when the Preventers approached. One broke off to meet them at the gate.

"Can I help you?" she prodded, uneasy.

"We are not here to bring you trouble, I give you my word. We are here looking for a friend of ours who left the hospital he was supposed to be staying at." Heero explained, trying not to sound intimidating.

They were the outcasts here.

"What makes you think he came here, if I may ask?"

"He has always loved churches. He once told me that he was taken in by one…the Maxwell Church. We checked there and didn't find him. We just want to make sure that he doesn't get hurt." Heero answered.

The nun seemed to toss something around in her mind. She then proceeded to unlock the gate.

"You both have good intentions about you. The young man you are looking for is here, speaking with Father Cowan. I am not sure if they are finished yet but you are more than welcome to check."

Heero felt a wave of relief wash over him and Quatre smiled brightly, "Thank you, Sister!"

The two of them slid through the gate and all but ran up the path to the stoop of the church, smiling to the other nun as they cautiously opened the door and entered. The second set of doors were propped open and they made their way through, taking the interior in with awe. The inside was obviously once as marvelous and extravagate as they came, with dingy burgundy carpets and deep wooden walls with scratches all over them. The faux lighting from the colony bled through the stained glass, leaving warped variations of color and patterns on the surface of the room. And down the isle, knelt awkwardly before an elderly priest, was Duo, wrapped in bandages and clinging a hospital gown to his thin frame.

"D---"

"Shhh." Heero interrupted Quatre before he could interrupt a surreal moment and nodded for a pew, where they took a seat.

AN: Well? What did you guys think? I am trying to spell and grammar check as I go along so I am hoping nothing turns up bad.

And I did a switcheroo in this chapter, originally I had Wufei going with Heero but thought it would be better to have Heero and Quatre, with Wufei and Trowa. After all…who wouldn't want to go into the slums of _any _town without a man in a uniform plus gun? Eh? Eh?

RR? 3


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Chapter 6. :3 I had to update on our very first day of snow! Whoo!

Anyway. Thanks for the reviews, I am serious when I say I log on like…every hour to check and see if I get more.:3

I have no life. Sitting down to watch the new Star Trek movie while I type on chapter 8.

WARNINGS: Cursing, sap. 1+2 stuff. Love the sap.

**VI. Departure**

Heero checked his watch. They had been waiting on Duo for nearly half an hour. He had long since contacted Trowa and Wufei to let them know that the braided man had been found, and now the four of them sat, watching Duo. Occasionally he would shift, tense up at what Heero assumed was a flash of pain, and continue talking to Father Cowan.

"Have any of you heard what they are talking about?" Wufei pondered, arms crossed.

He spoke in a hushed voice.

"Not one word." Heero whispered back.

He couldn't take his eyes off of Duo. Even after the war he hadn't looked this much at peace. Yet he was so distraught at the same time.

"You know…you guys can all come and stay with me on L-4 too." Quatre offered with a hopeful smile.

"I can't possibly. Lady Une---"

Wufei was interrupted by Heero, "I am sure that Lady Une will understand if we took some time off. We lost a partner…a friend. And we just got him back. I don't think she will be that upset if we cashed in some unused vacation time to help with his recovery."

"I will be more than glad to help in any way I can as well. The circus can go on a couple of months without me." Trowa said, earning a smile from Quatre.

"Wufei?" the blonde prodded, those baby blues sparkling with hope.

The Chinese man sighed, "I suppose I can."

"Hey…I think they are done." Trowa exclaimed, sitting up in the pew.

Duo had stood, leaning heavily against the priest for support, and they talked briefly with their heads bowed. Duo then parted from Father Cowan and turned, startled upon finding four familiar sets of eyes staring at him. Father Cowan must have asked him if everything was alright because the violet eyed man turned with a small smile, lips moving in an unheard sentence. He then limped down the isle towards his fellow ex-Gundam pilots, his smile warping, appearing more sad than apologetic. The closer he got the easier it was to tell that he had been crying. The four of them stood when Duo stopped before them.

"Sorry guys. But I did tell you that I couldn't stay in that hospital." he muttered, "Hope I didn't cause too much of a fuss."

"Nonsense." Quatre laughed, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Duo mumbled something and outstretched his arms, beckoning the other three over. With a shared confused look they approached him warily, taken by surprise when Duo gathered them all up in a hug. He hissed in pain but squeezed them as tight as he could. As if they would all disappear.

"I love you guys. I missed you so much."

"Oh, Duo." Quatre sobbed, tears welling up in his own eyes as he returned the bear hug.

Wufei even wrapped an arm around Duo's thin, fragile form and gave a reassuring clutch.

"Quat…I don't mind staying at your place until I recover. I just can't be stuck in a hospital, y'know?" Duo explained, voice shaky,

"It's fine, Duo. You can stay as long as you want. Any of you can. While you are there the Preventers can investigate what happened and find out what happened to you---"

"No." Duo snapped, "I don't want this getting any bigger than it already has. I will be fine, and with you guys here, I will be even better. I don't care what happened…I just…I want peace now."

"And you will get it, my friend." Trowa assured.

"We won't let anything happen to you Duo. Ever again." Heero whispered in the braided man's ear.

He felt Duo's arm tighten around him, "Now that that's been said, let's get going. I am sure we have quite the trip to L-4 ahead of us."

He broke away, leaning on Quatre for support.

"You are ready to leave _now_?" Quatre cocked an eyebrow at him.

Duo nodded, "Yes _now_. If you put me back in that hospital I will just run away again."

"I guess we will just have to tell them to strap you to the bed. Put you in a straight jacket. That seems to suit you well enough."

Duo gaped at Wufei, "O. M. G. Was that a _joke_ from THE Chang Wufei?"

Wufei couldn't help but smile when Duo slung an arm over his shoulder, "Better not get used to it. It's not every day people just come back from the grave like you did."

Duo shook his head, "Yeah."

"How are we going to get him on the shuttle? I am sure the press will be all over it." Quatre asked.

A sudden realization, "And Duo is practically naked."

"Pfft, never heard you complain before." the braided man countered.

Quatre giggled, "That's because I have never seen you naked, silly."

"Then now's a fine time to start."

"First thing is first." Heero interrupted their joking, "We do need to get him some clothes. I was called from the office so I didn't get a chance to pack anything he could borrow until we get to L-4."

"I packed some things. He is more than welcome to borrow some of my clothes, if they fit." Trowa offered.

"That will work." Duo laughed.

It almost sounded hollow.

"We will have to go back to the hospital. I left it with a nurse when we found you missing."

Duo gave him a sheepish look, "I'm sorry."

Trowa shook his head, "No need to be. We all have a fear of hospitals, to an extent."

"The faster we get there the faster we can leave." Heero pushed and started to walk.

The group made their way out of the church and through the courtyard, where the nuns and the children wished Duo a farewell. The braided man had to stop and tell them goodbye as he went, patting some of the children on the head even though he knew none of them. Their trip through the slums was more pleasant this time around, with Duo by their side to guide them and telling them a brief story when something came into view that struck up an old memory. It took no time for them to get back into the main city, where a cab was hailed and they piled in. The hospital came into view within a few moments and, much to Heero's relief, the reporters were nowhere to be found.

_Thank you, Relena._

"I will go with Duo inside. You wait out here. We will be back soon." Trowa helped Duo out of the cab and used himself as a crutch for the braided boy as he limped inside.

"I am so excited. It'll be like old times…without the war, I mean." Quatre exclaimed.

He was beaming.

"I don't know how long I can stay, though. I shouldn't even take a week off from work." Wufei complained.

"It will be alright. If all else fails we can get in contact with the L-4 branch of Preventers for some work time." Heero objected.

"True. Which reminds me…I do need to call Lady Une and inform her. You might want to call Po and Peacecraft and fill them in."

"Will do."

Heero and Wufei each pulled out a cell phone and began dialing and Quatre sighed, opting to stare out of the window. He listened to Wufei explain the situation to Lady Une and assumed that she was okay with their vacation time---not like they haven't earned it many times over---and to Heero thanking Relena for her efforts and ask if they were alright. Both conversations were brief and to the point.

"Relena said that her and Sally will return to Earth. She wants us to keep her updated. She told the press that Duo had been released under confidential orders and taken to a private medical facility."

"Which isn't lying." Wufei pointed out.

"Which isn't lying." Heero confirmed.

"I guess I should call my pilot and let him know we will be there shortly." Quatre gasped, whipping his own cell phone out and dialing.

"Here they come." Wufei announced.

Heero turned in that direction and watched as Trowa helped Duo down some stairs. Out of his hospital gown and in a pair of pajama pants and a snug cotton top, Heero took in the sight of Duo appreciatively. He looked a lot better, both physically and mentally. Some of his bandages had been taped up and Heero even noticed a couple of signatures on his leg cast done in a bright pink pen.

"Yuy?" Wufei nudged him, knocking him out of his reverie.

Heero hadn't realized he had been ogling the other man, "Yes?"

"I don't know. Take a picture or something. It might last longer and won't be nearly as loud." Wufei retorted with a smile.

Heero snorted, "I think I missed it when you didn't crack jokes."

Wufei laughed as Trowa opened the door, helping Duo inside.

"I think the sedatives may be starting to do their magic. He is getting sluggish." the green eyed man informed, taking his own seat in the cab, "To the space port, please."

"Sure thing."

By the time they arrived a the port Duo could barely keep his eyes open. A wheelchair was provided upon request and the braided man collapsed onto it. They made a beeline for Quatre's personal ship and were greeted warmly by the flight attendants as they boarded.

"Here, Wufei, help me get Duo into the seat." Heero prodded, gently lifting Duo's legs.

Wufei laced his arms beneath Duo's, helping the Japanese man lift him up and lay him down.

"He is so light." Wufei pointed out with a frown.

Quatre sighed, "Who knows what happened to him while he was away. At least we have him back now though."

Heero took the seat in between Duo and Wufei, with Trowa and Quatre sitting by one another on the opposite block of chairs.

"We are ready for takeoff, Mr. Winner." the pilot announced.

"Thank you, Beck. Ready when you are."

The ship roared to life, shaking slightly as it was guided out of the colony by various machines. Heero stiffened when Duo's head fell onto his shoulder.

Duo let out a contented sigh, "Oh, Heero."

AN: You guys don't think that I am moving too fast with the relationship do you?

RR please. :3


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Yeah, sorry for pushing the relationship to fast. I just don't want people to lose interest while I stall. :P

Now I noticed that I had a problem with the numbers for the chapters. I had chapter 6 in there twice, so I changed this one to 7 (like it is supposed to be). So if something is off just overlook it. I am going by chapter titles when I post and not the numbers, so I shouldn't have them up in bad order.

WARNINGS: Cursing. 1+2 goodness. I NOES OWN GUNDAM WING!

**VII. Third Time's A Charm**

The ride to L-4 was quite awkward for Heero. Duo laid with his head on his shoulder the entire time, occasionally mumbling something in his sleep. Heero had heard his name spoken a couple of times and it left a fleeting feeling in his heart that he had no explanation for. He couldn't decipher anything going through his mind since Duo had been thrust back into their lives. And he most certainly didn't know whether or not to be excited or down right frightened.

A limousine awaited them when they finally did arrive on L-4 hours later, compliments of Quatre. Duo was loaded up without incident and without disturbing his sleep, and for that Heero was thankful. The braided man resumed his use of Heero's shoulder until they had to move him once again at Quatre's manor.

"We can keep him in a room on the first floor. It will be easier for him to access the rest of the house that way." the blonde said, leading them in the direction of Duo's soon-to-be room.

Heero and Wufei maneuvered through the lush furniture and antiques with the brunette in their arms.

"This is quite the place you've got here, Winner." Wufei complimented.

"Thank you." the blonde smiled as he opened one of many doors in the hallway.

He turned a lamp on as Heero and Wufei carried Duo inside, directing them to the lavish bed where Duo was placed.

"Do you guys need any clothes? Or toiletries?" Quatre asked in a hushed voice.

"I do. I left in a hurry from the office, I didn't get a chance to pack anything." Heero answered, bringing a thick blanket up to tuck Duo in.

"Wufei?" Quatre pushed, eying the Chinese man.

Wufei sighed, "I do as well."

"Okay. I have some extra clothes packed away that you two can borrow until you have the time to go shopping. As far as the toiletries go…I think I have plenty to sustain you." the blonde smiled, "Are any of you hungry? It's been quite the day."

"Starving." Heero answered, glancing at Wufei, who nodded.

"Great. I will have some lunch ready in a few. Until then…make yourselves at home. I can show you where you will be staying---"

"I want a room close to Duo's, if at all possible." Heero interrupted.

Quatre nodded, "That can easily be arranged. Any preferences, Wufei?"

"Not at all."

"Alright then. Follow me."

Heero and Wufei followed Quatre out of the room, meeting up with Trowa who stood just outside the door.

"You can have this room right here, Heero. It's right next door to Duo's, just in case you might hear anything you feel the need to investigate. Wufei, you can take the room across the hall from Duo. Trowa, do you have any requests?"

The other man shook his head.

Quatre grinned, "You can take the room next to Wufei then, if you like."

Trowa nodded, "That will be fine. Thank you."

Quatre clapped his hands together, "Perfect. Now if you guys want to get ready before lunch you are more than welcome. I can have the supplies in your quarters refreshed and some clothes delivered. How about some sandwiches and a fruit tray?"

No one objected so Quatre assumed it was okay. He bid them all farewell and left in the direction they came, probably to his own quarters to freshen up. Heero nodded to the other two men before retreating to his own room, where he closed the door behind him. He leaned heavily against it, sighing as he rested his head against its surface. What was he thinking, taking off work to help with Duo? He was digging a hole for himself, one that he hoped he would be able to climb back out of once this was all over and done with. He just had to make sure Duo was going to be alright. He felt a need to protect the other man.

He pushed away from the door with a sigh, shedding his Preventers jacket and pulling his undershirt off. His pants and boxers followed and there he stood in his birthday suit as he turned the water on for a much needed shower. He left the door cracked as he slipped in, rolling his shoulders as the steaming water cascaded over his body. Perhaps this vacation would do him good. Give him some time to clear his thoughts and figure out what it was about Duo Maxwell that he just couldn't keep his mind off of.

He growled, slamming a fist into the shower wall. Opting to clean himself instead of destroying Quatre's mansion, he lathered his hair up and scrubbed, digging his fingernails into his scalp. He had _never_ felt this way about _anyone _before. Doctor J would have had his head on a platter during the war if such nonsense had been on his mind then. But then again…the war was over. They were living in a time of peace.

"Damn it, Duo. What have you done to me?"

He needed an answer. He had a feeling that it wouldn't come so easy though. He finished cleaning himself quickly and searched the cabinets for some towels. One was wrapped around his hips and the other was used to dry his hair as he stepped back into his room, cocking his head at the neatly folded clothes resting on his bed. He hadn't even heard a knock. After brushing his teeth and hair he put on the clean clothes and ventured out into the hallway. He heard Wufei moving around in his own bedroom and decided to sneak into Duo's. The other man was still unconscious in his bed, a furrowed look on his brow.

"Duo…" Heero whispered, running a hand through his bangs.

He got no response. Groaning, he left the room, closing the door silently behind him. It took a couple of seconds to find someone to ask where Quatre was. The maid informed him that the blonde was on the patio. He opened the hurricane doors to find him sitting with Trowa. The two were drinking tea.

"Hello, Heero." Quatre greeted.

Heero nodded to him and took a seat.

"Everything alright?" the blonde questioned, slightly worried.

Heero sighed, "Yes."

Quatre didn't look convinced. But he didn't push it. Wufei joined them a few minutes later.

"Thank you, Winner. That was much needed."

"No problem." Quatre flagged down a butler, "Would you bring those snacks I requested, please?"

The butler nodded and left the room quickly.

"So…when do you two plan on going out?" Quatre began their conversation, offering them cups to drink.

"I may go tomorrow. Get out of the house while Duo is still unconscious." Heero mumbled, enthusiastically taking the cup.

He remembered how much he had enjoyed Quatre's tea during the war.

"I might as well go too. Get it over and done with." was Wufei's answer, mimicking Heero's actions.

"So, Trowa." Quatre turned to the other man, "How goes the circus? How is Catherine?"

"Everything is well. Before I got Heero's call we were practicing a new routine." Trowa replied.

He went into an explanation of his new show with Catherine, earning the occasional 'ooh' from Quatre.

"How about the Preventers? How is that life treating you?" the blonde directed to Heero and Wufei.

"It's alright." Heero commented.

Wufei shrugged, "Yuy and I work in separate divisions. He is stationed in New York whereas I am stationed in Dallas with Po as my partner. As far as I know Yuy is still in the field."

Heero nodded. He opened his mouth to deliver a summary of his own affairs when something caught his eye through the glass of the door. A stirring of the shadows within the mansion, something swift and careful…

The butler opened the door with a tray balanced on an upturned hand, another pot of tea in his other.

"Here you are, sir." he offered the tray to Quatre, who took it with a smile.

"Thank you."

The butler nodded, setting the other pot of tea on the table as well before he walked back into the house. Heero's eyes narrowed, focusing on the suspicious shadow he had witnessed earlier. He saw no movement.

"God damn it." he swore, standing.

He earned surprised looks from his friends but gave no explanation as he walked back into the house, straight for Duo's room. He opened the door and took in the empty bed.

"What?! He's gone _again_?!" Quatre moaned, slipping passed Heero into the room.

Wufei sighed and Trowa shook his head with a strange smile on his face.

"Where could he have even gone this time?" the blonde exclaimed.

He sounded in a near panic.

Trowa laid his hand on his shoulder, "Calm down, Quatre. I am sure he is alright. He probably came to and just wanted to get some fresh air."

"If you say so." Wufei huffed, crossing his arms.

Heero pushed by them with a determined look on his face, crossing the room to where he had seen the movement. He began opening each door he traversed, doing a quick scan before moving on to the next.

_What is that idiot thinking? Someone is after him and he doesn't give a shit._ Heero was fuming.

He stopped when he went to grab another doorknob and it moved without him, the door opening to reveal a sheepish Duo.

"Hey Heero."

Heero pressed by him and peered into the room. It was a magnificent library with rows upon rows of books and an old desktop computer sitting off to the side. Heero just stared at Duo, waiting for an explanation.

"Hey now, don't give me that look. I woke up. I didn't want to stay crammed up so I decided to show myself around." the braided man piped up.

"Duo! There you are!" Quatre cried out, embracing him.

Duo patted him on the head.

"Maxwell! You need to stop running off like that!" Wufei chastised.

"Jeez, I am sorry! You all know me, I can't sit still!" Duo whined.

"You need to stay in bed and recover a little. Or sit in a chair. Just take it easy." Quatre pouted.

No one could say no to _that _look.

Duo sighed, "Fine, fine. But let me hang out with you guys. I hate being alone."

He limped on, dragging Quatre with him. Trowa followed them and Wufei gave Heero a puzzled look as the man brought up the history for the computer.

It was blank.

AN: :0 What do you think?

Again, sorry for the quick progression of the relationship. I am trying to speed it up without being blatantly obvious and ruin the plot.

RR please!


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Chapter 8! Whoot! Sorry for not updating a bit sooner. I got sick. But I have yet to work on 11 any more, so I want to finish it at least before I upload another chapter.**

**WARNINGS: FLUFFY YAOI ESQUE. 1+2 lovey dovey. Nothing explicit. Sappy enough to make bubblegum out of. **

**And no…Duo is not being mind controlled. :3**

**VIII. Contact**

Duo seemed to act much better once he was able to join the others outside. He sat with them, listening to their stories, making his own comments and munching on the fruit tray.

He took great interest in what the others had been doing for the past two years. Quatre sensed a sadness from him during that discussion though…probably where he had no joyful stories to tell. He used his bad arm as much as possible to get used to the movements, occasionally hissing in pain yet continuing on.

"You are going to end up hurting yourself even more." Heero pointed out.

Duo sulked at him, "It will never get better if I don't build its strength back up."

Stubborn mule.

"He is just worrying over you, Duo. We all are." Quatre explained, patting the other's hand.

"Yeah, but I ain't no damn kid anymore." the violet eyed man retorted.

"Could have fooled me." Wufei mumbled under his breath as he took a drink of his tea.

Duo poked at him, "I heard that, Waffles."

Wufei choked. He hadn't heard that nickname in a very long time. Quatre laughed at Wufei's expense and Heero couldn't help but crack a smile too.

"Holy hell! What _have _I missed? The Perfect Soldier comes in a smiling unit now?! When was this programmed in?" Duo cackled like a madman, beaming at Heero.

The Japanese man shook his head, "Question does not compute."

It was Duo's turn to choke and this time Wufei and even Trowa had to cracked a grin. Quatre laughed with him and in that instant, they were all teenage boys again.

"Have I told you guys that I love you yet? I mean, this passed hour?" Duo breathed through his chuckles.

Quatre laughed, "Not this passed hour, no."

Duo nodded, "I love you guys."

"We love you too, Duo." the blonde replied.

"Why don't you come shopping with us tomorrow? If you are feeling up to it." Heero suddenly asked.

He missed the glare from Quatre, ignored the kick from underneath the table, "He shouldn't be going out at all!"

"It should be his decision. We've already seen that if he does not want to do something, he won't. What do you say, think some fresh air will do you some good?"

"Would it ever!" Duo cheered.

Heero couldn't help but smile at Duo. Those violet eyes were glowing at him.

Wufei didn't miss it, "I think I will let you two go yourselves. I will probably check out couple of places by myself."

"Aww, Waffles no wanna baby-sit?" Duo said in a childlike voice.

Wufei only grinned, shaking his head, "You will never know, my friend." he stood, stretching, "So, Winner, when do you plan on having dinner? I am actually a bit tired from our trip."

"Whenever you guys like." Quatre answered.

"Well I'm not hungry anymore. But I could take another nap." Duo added.

"See! You wear yourself out to easy!" Quatre chastised, gently slapping Duo's hand.

Duo simply waved it at him, standing, "So…dinner at 9?"

"That is fine with me." Trowa nodded.

Heero also stood, "As with me. I will also be keeping an eye on you while you sleep."

"What?" Duo drawled in that whiney voice.

"You obviously can't be left alone by yourself." the brunette explained with a wolfish smirk and crossed arms.

"What? Poor Maxwell doesn't want a babysitter?" Wufei poked.

Duo snorted, "If he feels the need, I guess."

"After today…yeah, I feel the need."

Duo limped off, grumbling, with Heero on his tail.

"Best be careful, Maxwell! I heard your face can get stuck if you keep it like that!"

Wufei's last views of the old Deathscythe pilot was one of him flipping the bird.

"Guess I can't complain, though." Duo started once they were out of earshot, "I am glad Wufei has opened up a bit. You have too, y'know?"

Heero cocked his head, "How do you mean?"

Duo shrugged, "I don't know. I was playing around earlier. You aren't the perfect soldier anymore. You are more…well, more human."

"I have always been a human. That's all any of us are. We just had to build up our own masks during the war as protection." Heero commented.

He watched as Duo opened his bedroom door with his bad arm, slightly jerky with the movement, "…Yeah…protection…"

The two entered the dimly lit room, left just as Heero had last seen it. Duo began awkwardly shedding his clothes.

"Do you need any help?"

Duo paused with Trowa's shirt wrapped around his neck and elbows, blinking at Heero, "I might."

Heero chuckled as he took hold of the garment, stretching to slide it up and over Duo's up stretched arms. He stiffened when he felt Duo's bare chest against his own, taking a step back. Duo tried to copy his actions, tripping over his cast in the process. But he never hit the ground as Heero reached out to him, grabbing a hold of his good arm and waist. He helped the other man regain his footing, a slight blush brightening his cheeks. He couldn't tell if Duo was blushing too or not. He was scared to look and find out.

Duo sat down heavily on the bed, "Thanks…you know, for everything."

Heero nodded, keeping his eyes to the floor as Duo adjusted the blankets and pillows to his liking. He was quick to lay down and Heero took a seat at the bedside desk.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, Heero. It's alright."

Heero sighed in relief. Duo didn't sound one bit upset with him, embarrassed or otherwise.

"Thank you, Heero."

Heero blinked, finally letting his eyes fall on the braided man's form.

"It's no problem at all, Duo."

**********

"Heero! Duo! Dinner time!" Quatre knocked on the bedroom door, snapping Heero into consciousness.

He hadn't even realized he'd been asleep, "Yes, Quatre! Be right there."

Heero heard the blonde walk off, turning his head to Duo. The man was still there, wonder of all wonders, and sleeping peacefully. Some strands of hair had released themselves from that braid and were strewn about, giving the illusion of a twisted halo. He really didn't know if he had the heart to wake the other man. He reached out with his hand, gently shaking his shoulder.

"Duo?"

No response. Heero sighed and leaned in closer.

"Duo?"

A response was mumbled but he didn't quite catch it. He leaned in further to where his lips were mere inches from the others ear. It was almost surreal.

"Duo?"

Violet eyes snapped open and Duo gasped, knocking Heero out of his reverie.

"Sorry, you weren't waking up. Quatre said that dinner was ready." he explained quickly.

Duo nodded, "Okay. Just need to get my clothes back on."

"You go ahead. I will head on down."

And just like that Heero was gone, quietly closing the door behind him.

"You are falling for him, aren't you?" Wufei's hushed, accusing voice startled him.

"Why do you say that?" Heero whispered, regaining his composure.

"You didn't deny it just now, for one." the Chinese man smirked.

Heero shook his head, "Honestly…I don't know."

"How can you not know? If you love somebody, you love somebody."

"I know. It's just…I've never felt these emotions before." Heero sighed.

Wufei motioned for him to follow, and they quietly walked down the hallway to stare through the glass doors at Trowa and Quatre.

"Look at them. What do you see?"

Quatre and Trowa sat across from one another and Quatre was talking, occasionally laughing, and even the corners of Trowa's mouth would twist upward.

"They are conversing about something." Heero tried, glancing up at Wufei.

"No, Yuy. Look at how they are sitting. Look at that sparkle in Barton's eyes, the glow that is just radiating from Winner. They are in love."

"I know they care deeply for one another---"

"But there is a difference between caring deeply for someone and loving them. Do you love Peacecraft?" Wufei interrupted.

"No."

"Would you let anything happen to her? Do you care deeply for her?"

"No and yes."

Wufei slapped him on the back, "See what I mean? Do you care deeply for Maxwell?"

"Yes."

"Now…do you love him?"

Heero's mouth moved with unspoken words, "I…I don't know. He was there for me during the war. He would not leave me alone. Eventually, those few times when he was not around…I missed him. I actually _missed _him. And then when we got that call--- "

He slapped it closed when a door behind them opened and the two turned to face Duo as the other emerged from his bedroom, fully clothed and hair freshly braided.

"What are you guys doing?" he laughed.

Wufei looked at Heero and raised an eyebrow.

"We were waiting for you." the brunette answered quickly, beckoning Duo over.

"Awful nice of you. Let's get going. I am starving!" the other said, limping in between the two.

Heero caught Wufei shaking his head and glared at him.

AN: Love advice from Wufei? What is this world coming to?

RR

3 I love you guys.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Chapter 9! Unfortunately I don't want to cut it so close by posting 10 until I finish 11. I have a minor bout of writers block. I know what I want to do…I am just afraid that it has been overdone. Anyway, here goes.

Disclaimer is that I own nothing.

Warnings are yaoi noms, kisses, flirty, sap, cursing.

**IX. A Kiss In The Rain**

Dinner went very well that night. The five of them had sat there for hours, eating and conversing. Wufei's words echoed in Heero's head throughout the meal, building up a nervous reaction in his belly. He was still anxious about the brief contact between himself and Duo, dreading to be alone with the braided man yet wanting it again all at the same time. He excused himself from the table early, retiring to the safety of his bedroom. He just couldn't handle Duo at the moment. His icy shell melted oh so slightly the longer he was around the other man. That was his reasoning as he excused himself from the table and locked himself away in the sanctity of his bedroom.

"Duo…" he sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned against the door.

He let himself slide to the floor in the darkness. He had never felt so useless in his entire life…and the crazy thing was, it was his own emotions that he had no control over. He heard the footsteps that approached his door, not at all surprised by the knock the followed.

"Yuy. Can I come in?"

Wufei. Heero stood and opened his door, nodding for the other man to enter.

Heero turned on his light and plopped down on his bed dejectedly, running his hands through his wild hair, "I know what you are going to say."

"Oh really? When did you learn to read minds?"

"I need to say something to him. Get this straightened out before I, myself, lose all control over it." Heero groaned.

He heard the Chinese man chuckle, "No, that is not what I was going to say but thank you for clarifying."

He lifted his head enough to glare at him, "Then what did you come here for?"

Wufei shrugged, "I was coming to make sure you were alright. But I guess that answers my question. Do you need to get something off your chest?"

"How do I tell him? We are both men. You don't just go up to someone and tell them that you love them." Heero growled.

"Well…where I don't have your exact problem I kind of know how you feel. Working with Po…" Wufei shrugged, "Things happen."

"You love Sally Po?" Heero questioned.

He wasn't taken aback though. Deep down he knew it was going to happen.

"I do. I just don't have what it takes to tell her. Now, I have found that it is easier to _show_ someone how you feel." Wufei continued, "While you are out tomorrow…_show_ him how you feel. For some reason I have a feeling that Maxwell won't turn you down."

"Why? Not like he's scared of me." Heero snorted.

"The exact opposite, as a matter of fact. You don't see it because you are too busy avoiding his eyes, but it's just like Barton and Winner. There's something there, something you have to nourish and help prosper before it withers away." Wufei reasoned.

Heero gasped, "You've seen something? Between him and I?"

"Yes. But I won't help you any more on this. You have to be the one to initiate it, not me. It's like I told Barton---"

"You told Trowa?!"

Wufei held a hand up to silence him, "Calm down, I told him nothing of you and Maxwell. It is not my place to say anything, you have my word. I had a similar discussion with Barton over Quatre."

"Oh? And what did he say?"

"Not much really." Wufei answered, crossing his arms, "He didn't have anything to say. But I planted the seed nonetheless. I don't like to see people hurt, especially over something that can be helped."

Heero stood and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Wufei…you are a true friend."

"And it's my job _as _your friend to not let you suffer. Tomorrow is your big day, Yuy. Show Maxwell how you really feel."

**********

Heero's sleep had been troublesome that night. After Wufei had left his room he had gone straight to bed, tossing and turning all night long with the braided man on his mind. How exactly was he going to _show _him how much he loves him? He tossed various scenarios up in his head, none ending in his liking. He prayed that Duo changed his mind and didn't feel like going with him.

But his prayers were denied when he ventured out of his room and saw Duo lounging on the couch across from Quatre. He was dressed in jeans and a deep blue button down top, ready to go.

"Good morning, Heero!" he was the first to greet.

"Good morning!" Quatre echoed.

"Morning." Heero replied.

"I didn't know if you'd ever wake up. Waffles has already left on his little shopping spree." Duo informed.

Heero nodded, "So…are you still wanting to go?"

He had to make sure.

Duo winked at him, "You better believe it. Can't get rid of me that easily. I'm actually looking forward to spending some quality time with ya!"

_At least one of us is. _Heero thought to himself.

"Well…are you ready to leave now?"

"You bet." Duo exclaimed, standing, "And thanks again for the money, Quat. I promise I won't spend too much and I will pay you back for what I do."

Quatre shook his head, "I told you already. Don't worry about it. I am doing it as a friend."

"Okay, okay. But don't say I didn't try." the braided man sighed.

"Never."

The blonde let out a cry of surprise when Duo gathered him up in a hug.

"You rock, Quat."

"Thank you."

"No. Thank _you_."

"Well. We're out. Catch ya later, Quat."

Duo walked to the door, fighting a limp, but succeeding nonetheless. Heero followed him outside, coming to a stop beside Duo who stood just by the awaiting limousine.

"Something wrong?"

Duo turned to look at him, "You know…I think I would rather walk. I need to stretch anyways."

Heero nodded, "Alright. I will let Quatre know though so he won't worry if he sees his driver about."

He turned on his heel, stepping back into the mansion, "Qu---"

He closed his mouth and shrunk back behind the door at the sight that greeted him. There Quatre stood just in the hallway, wrapped in someone's arms, lost in a deep kiss. The flow of bangs that hid his face gave the identity of the other right away. Quietly, Heero closed the door and made his way back to Duo.

"Everything okay?" the other questioned.

"Yeah. Quatre was busy. I will just let the driver know."

They explained to the man that they wanted to walk and he agreed to let Quatre know in time. The two of them walked out into the city, keeping to the sidewalk and avoiding large crowds for Duo's sake.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Heero finally asked when he spotted a small café on the street corner.

"Nope."

"How about it?" Heero nodded to the building.

Duo smiled, "Sure. Looks good."

They entered the café and was seated, picking up the menus and ordering drinks.

"Hey…I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Order the cheeseburger for me, will ya?" Duo said, standing and hobbling to the restroom.

"Hi there. Do you handsome young men know what you want today?" the waitress greeted, whipping out her pad of paper and pen.

"Two cheeseburgers with fries, please."

The woman, a busty redhead with blue eyes, wrote it down, smiling at him as she left to put their order in. Heero sipped on his drink, plucking up a packet of sugar and flattening it against the table. He continued doing this, stacking them atop one another until a commotion caught his attention and he looked up to see Duo walking away from the counter, away from a couple of waitresses who were smiling at himself.

Heero blinked at him, "What did you say to them?"

"Oh, nothing." Duo replied.

He pulled an ink pen out of his pants pocket and began doodling on the placemat before him, drawing various pictures of crosses and a disfigured Deathscythe. Their food arrived shortly after and Duo dived into it as if he were a starving child. He finished way before Heero did and sat there, staring out the window.

"Are you alright?" Heero asked softly.

"Hm?" Duo gave him a sidelong glance, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You're quiet. You never used to be this way."

Duo snorted a laugh, "You actually miss it? During the war I thought you couldn't stand me."

Heero shook his head, "No. It's not like that at all…"

Duo straightened and gave him a questioning look.

"I mean…during the war I was following protocol. I had to focus on the mission. I'm…sorry if it seemed like I didn't like you."

God. He hoped he wasn't blushing.

"Yeah…I didn't take any offense though. You were like that to everyone, even Relena." Duo replied.

"I was only doing as I was told."

There was a pause and then Heero had Duo's finger in his face.

"You know…_I _should be the one asking _you_ if _you_ are alright. I mean…I think that you've spoken more in the past couple of days than you did in the _entire _war."

Heero grabbed that finger and brought his hand down, "I know. Believe it or not it's because I've been worried about you."

Duo was taken aback, "Worried? About me?"

"Yes."

Duo averted his gaze, "…You shouldn't worry about me, Heero."

Heero squeezed his finger a little bit harder, "And thus I am back to asking you once again if _you _are okay. You have never called me by my name. It has always been a nickname."

Duo jumped at the array of giggles from the waitresses and they both looked at them, meeting gazes with the one tending to them as she sauntered up to the table and laid their check on the table.

"Here you go, sugar." she slid it to Heero, "Don't mind us. You boys squabble like an old married couple. It's just so adorable."

Prussian eyes met violet, "I think it's time to go."

"Yeah. I'm with ya on that one."

They stood and Heero paid, laying a tip down on the table before they left the café.

"That was weird, huh." Duo commented once they were outside.

"Gossiping hens." Heero growled, "So where are you wanting to go to shop?"

Duo shrugged, "Matters not to me. How about we just stop in at each place we come across? Make a circle."

"That sounds like a plan."

The two of them walked on and came to a men's clothing store not too long after. They entered and were greeted by salesmen, whom they brushed off immediately and went about their own business. Heero snatched up what caught his eye, knowing his exact size and going with it. Duo, however, grabbed a couple of sizes in each piece and had to try them on. He was only in the fitting room for a couple of minutes and came out with only a couple pairs of jeans and shirts.

"After all that, that's all you're going to get?" Heero questioned with a smirk.

"Hey…if I'm going to be wearing it might as well get something I like." Duo pointed at Heero's own armload of clothing, "And look at you, plain and simple. Why not live a little?"

"I find nothing wrong with my fashion sense."

"Yeah, that's because it doesn't exist. You should let me pick an outfit out for you."

_Just say no. Just say no and leave…_

"Okay."

Duo cackled, "Nice! Follow me."

Duo drug him over to the more younger section and ravaged the racks until he found something that scratched his itch.

"Here you go. Try this on."

Heero accepted the shirt and jeans from him and walked steadily to his own fitting room where he began stripping down. When he got a good look at the shirt he wanted to croak. At least one size too small, it sported a multi colored skull and crossbones on it's side with a handful of stars strewn about the shoulder. And the jeans looked as if a rabid animal had gotten a hold of them and then thrown up on them with neon green vomit.

"Duo." he called through the door.

"Yeah, Heero?" the other answered.

"What did you get me to try on?"

"Oh just a little something different. Try it on, I'm sure it'll look amazing."

That time, Heero knows that a blush lit up his cheeks. He could see it in the damn mirror. Despite his better reasoning, he tried the thing on anyway. If to appease Duo. But once the garments were on his mind did a slight flip. Whereas the shirt was too small, it accentuated his muscular arms and chest, plus he could see the contours of his lean stomach through the material. The pants hid even less than that.

And thus the male of the species often shows off in order win over his assumed mate.

Heero warily opened the door as if he expected an OZ soldier on the other side, but it was no soldier that greeted him. Only Duo, watching him appreciatively with a sly grin on his lips.

It is often the chosen mate will show interest only within a couple of seconds.

"Looking good, man."

Heero ducked his head and closed the door, switching back to his original clothing quickly. He exited the fitting room flustered.

"Let's go."

"Well? What did _you_ think about it?" Duo teased.

He still had that grin on his face.

"It wasn't bad. I guess I can get it to wear when I want to relax."

Heero made a beeline for the cash register, paying for his garments as well as Duo's. After all, the other man hadn't picked a lot out.

"Have a nice day." the cashier bid them as they headed out the door.

"So we go this way for the next one, right?" Duo asked once they were outside.

Almost on cue as a response, the imitation sunlight faded and the sound of thunder drew heads to the 'sky'. Slowly, one by one, small droplets of water fell and the people on the streets rushed on to their destinations before they got soaked.

"Wow, perfect timing, huh?" Duo laughed, holding one of his bags over his head.

Heero didn't bother. He had two bags and they were full, unable to provide much of a shield against the rain.

"Man, this is something. It never rained on L-2."

After testing the rain, which begun coming down harder, with his hand Duo removed his own bag from his head and smiled at Heero, "No sense in me staying dry when you have to get all wet."

Heero smiled at him. It was a genuine, happy smile.

"Let's go."

He grabbed Duo by the hand and drug the other man across the road, dodging cars and other people until they came to the artificial grass of a small park. He could hear Duo laughing behind him as they slid a bit in mid stride. Finally Heero's luck ran out and he fell to the ground, skidding up some of the mock land and cackling when Duo tripped over him and landed on the ground as well. Pieces of grass and bits of mud showered over them and Heero ran fingers through his soaking wet hair.

"Aw, my leg." Duo chuckled despite the pain he had to be feeling.

"No use trying to find shelter now, huh?" he said between snickers.

"Nope." Duo answered.

Heero stood and extended a hand. Duo accepted it gratefully and pulled himself up. Heero didn't release that hand when Duo tried to pull it away, instead bringing the appendage close to his chest. Close to his heart. And Duo didn't object. Instead he took a tentative step closer, raising his head.

"Heero…" he whispered.

Heero leaned closer, "Duo…do you want me to stop?"

"No."

The word was barely uttered before Heero planted their lips together, a moan sounding deep in his throat as he pulled the other man closer to his body. The bags forgotten, fallen onto the ground, he wrapped his other arm around Duo's waist, slipping his hand underneath his sopping shirt to touch that creamy skin. And Duo didn't mind, repeating Heero's actions and using his own remaining arm to dig his fingers into Heero's drenched hair.

Heero broke away to nuzzle his ear, "Duo…I love you."

Duo's body went lax and for a moment Heero panicked.

The braided man pulled away, red rimmed eyes giving away the tears that mixed with the rain, "I love you too, Heero."

AN: Getting closer, eh? There aren't too many more chapters I have planned out, perhaps 5. Give or take. Crazy stuff going on around the holidays, work and family. I am hoping I can come up with something 'original' for chapter 11. L I know I hate when I can predict what's going to happen in a story.

Read and review please?

=^^=;;;


	10. Chapter 10

**I. Days Gone By**

Bright blue eyes observed the hustle and bustle of the colony L2. Whereas the people were better known for their crimes, dealing in underhanded atrocities, one also had to admit: the people _were _hard workers. All of the colonies seemed to produce a harder working man and woman than that of the people of Earth. A prime example were the Gundam pilots.

"Miss Peacecraft, your words on the situation at hand?"

Relena blinked at the man across the table from herself, slightly embarrassed at her lack of attention. She had not meant to be rude to the officials before her.

"I believe that your ideals are very much worth considering for the prosperity of this particular colony. I am well aware of some of the financial difficulties as well as the…reputation this colony possesses. It is a shame that your people suffered so much during the wars and there was nothing that could be done." She smiled, "I am glad things are finally turning for the better. It has taken years, with many casualties, but I am pushing for a time when we can finally proclaim that their deaths were not in vain. The colonies are truly going down the road they were originally intended for."

Her small speech had been meant to solidify their plans, to help them see that she was behind them one hundred percent. Their solemn reactions were a shock to her.

"Some for a better cause than others. The people are still mourning the less than heroic death of _our_ very own Gundam pilot."

Relena wanted to kick herself. She had intended for her words to bring hope, not bring up horrible memories.

"I…hadn't meant for it to be taken that way. Duo Maxwell was an amazing person, a hero. L2 had every right to be proud of him." Her eyes narrowed, a scowl marring her petite features, "But some people cannot be won over by peace or the promise of order and success. All they know and want to live by is pure chaos."

She recalled that fateful day very well. She still remembered the reports. During the war, the Gundam pilots were revered as mortal Gods, indestructible beings, _children_, that risked their lives to save those who cared nothing for them. They had retired as war heroes, parting ways as friends and comrades. It was a sad thing that happened, and Relena was truly regretful that she had never gotten to know Duo better.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to bring up such things."

The man who had been talking to her at the far end of the table stood, removing his glasses and dropping them onto a stack of papers, "I understand, Miss Peacecraft. Perhaps it would be best if we rescheduled our meeting."

Relena sighed. She understood that she had struck a nerve amongst the people before her and they had every right to be upset. However the issues they were discussing were delicate. They needed to be addressed and put into action as soon as possible.

"Yes. That will be fine." She stood, gathering her own documents and opening her shoulder bag, "You are more than welcome to join me for breakfast in the morning as well. It was a shame that my flight arrived late this morning and we were unable to get together sooner."

The bureaucrats gave her sincere smiles, "That would be most pleasant."

Relena nodded and straightened her suit, grateful for the ease in tension. It hadn't been much but it helped. She pulled a cellular phone from her pocket, switching the sleek device on and dialing a familiar number.

"Hello James. Yes, we are finished here for now." She paused, listening to the person on the other line, "No, that will be all. Thank you James."

It had been a shame when Pagan retired early due to minor arthritis in his right hand. He had been in pain, Relena could tell, though he would not admit it. He had not wanted to quit but she insisted he do so, along with offering him medical coverage for anything he ever needed. He had been a dear friend of hers from a very young age, doing anything she had wanted and then some. Even going with her own stories as to not get in trouble with her parents, the Dorlians.

Hands were shaken and more papers shuffled as the group prepared to leave the room. They filed out slowly, still enjoying the company of one another despite the drop in mood. Relena stopped at the main door of the building, saying her final goodbyes to the people she had come to know over the years in her role as Vice Foreign Minister. Someone held the door open for her as she exited, her limousine in sight with James awaiting her right at the curb.

The sudden commotion from the crowd around her, as well as the wide-eyed expression that appeared on James' face had her on alert and she followed their stares into the sky behind her. Her breath hitched in her throat upon seeing a very small aircraft appear from behind the building, way below legal altitude limitations, and slowly hover in her general direction. Relena stood her ground, tightening her grip on her bag even as local authorities whipped out their pistols and radios to call the unusual craft in. It's shadow came to fall over her limousine and James was immediately to her side, mumbling that they should step away quickly. But Relena was not going to be threatened by whatever this was. Terrorist threat or not.

Abruptly a compartment on the ship's belly opened, but it wasn't a missile or any other kind of explosive that was released. There was movement inside and something pale emerged from the shadows and fell like a rag doll to the colony below. Relena was startled to recognize the form of a human plummet onto the top of her limousine, at the same time the ship activated its thrusters and took off. She didn't hear the gunfire nor the explosions as the ship exited the colony via wall, people were screaming, and the hum of machines as the hole internally repaired itself. Her eyes were transfixed on the figure lying in the mess of shrapnel and glass, the long snake of a chestnut braid draped over the ledge of the small crater with the naked body at its center.

She didn't need to call authorities. She knew that had already been taken care of by other witnesses. She did yank out her cell phone and dial yet another familiar number.

The voice that answered on the other end was carefree, soft and welcoming. It did nothing to cease her panic, fear, and that feeling she got right before she knew that she was going to be sick.

"H-Heero, something happened---"

"What is it, Relena? Are you alright?"

He was beginning to sound scared as well.

"No. Heero it's _Duo. Duo _is-is-is-is on my car. Someone dropped _Duo _from a space ship onto _my car_!"

**II. Reunion**

The press arrived in the area faster than backup reinforcements had for the police. The civilians were loitering, gossiping, gathering, taking pictures of what had happened. Of the unresponsive body of the ex-Gundam pilot, Duo Maxwell, whom had been pronounced _dead_ two years ago. Whom had been cremated, whose ashes had been scattered in space.

Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft, Vice Foreign Minister of the Earth and colonies, had been ushered back into the building and she couldn't stop herself from emptying the contents of her stomach into the nearest potted plant. She held the cup of water that had been shoved into her hand in loose fingers, not trusting herself to keep it down. Her other hand pressed a tissue to her mouth and she wished that she could just curl up behind it and hide from the reality of what had just occurred. She had called Heero and told him what had happened. That Duo Maxwell was _alive_---if you could call it that.

An ambulance pulled up and an army of medical personnel rushed out, pushing by the police that were trying to hide the body from onlookers. They checked the more serious of injuries---Relena couldn't decipher much through the glass windows---talking amongst one another, and then oh so carefully lifting Duo from his would-be grave and lying him on a stretcher. They covered him up as they wheeled him to the ambulance and Relena briefly caught a glimpse of them hooking him up to all kinds of machines before the doors closed and the vehicle drove off with a squeal.

She knew what she had to do. Heero had told her that he would try to contact the others. They would be coming to L2 as soon as they were able. In the meantime…she had to avoid the media and get to the hospital.

"…James…" she choked, the first word spoken to her butler since the accident.

"Yes, Miss Relena? What do you need?" he responded quickly.

He had obviously been shaken up by the ordeal as well.

She needed to keep a level head, for both of their sakes, "I need to find a ride to the hospital. I have to make sure that that man is alright."

A nicely dressed gentleman approached her, holding out a hand, "I will take you if you wish, Vice Foreign Minister."

Relena didn't have the heart to smile.

"Thank you, so much."

**********

He had taken a cab to the space port, abandoning it halfway through the city of New York with a fifty dollar bill to foot it the rest of the way. And now Heero stood amongst a multitude of people in his Preventers uniform, eyes scanning, searching for the faces he knew. Several thoughts were going through his head, most of which he would rather not dwell over. He was comforted upon seeing a head tower over the populous.

"Trowa!" he called, waving an arm to get the other's attention.

Trowa stopped, jade eyes scanning and landing on the other former Gundam pilot. He cut through the people, careful with the single duffel bag tossed over his arm.

"Hello Heero. Has Wufei arrived yet?"

"No. Him and Sally should he arriving shortly. They had been out on an assignment when I had called them."

He himself had been in his office, typing up a report when he had received the grim message from Relena.

"How could this be? After two years…Heero, we _saw _the body---"

"We saw _a body_. There had been no significant remains to be able to identify and link it to be Duo's." Heero snapped quickly.

Again, he did not want to think about it at that time.

"Yuy! Barton!"

Heero saw Wufei first, dragging a panting Sally behind him. Both of them were still in uniform as well.

"Have either of you seen the news? Damned vultures. No respect at all." the Chinese man growled.

Heero didn't even want to know, "Come on. We have a private shuttle waiting for us in hangar three. We need to get to L2 as fast as possible."

He wasn't as careful managing through the assembly as Trowa had been. He cleared a path for himself and the others, borderline running, keeping his mind focused on the door ahead. Witnessing their status as Preventers, the flight attendants allowed them to board the plane quickly and within minutes the shuttle was launching from the ramp and shooting for outer space.

"When did you talk to Quatre?"

Trowa was the first to break the silence. This was the first time he had seen his old comrades in a year and a half. He wished that it had been on better terms.

"Quatre was the first one I called. I figured it would take him the longest to get to L2. He had been in a meeting. I let whomever answered the phone know that it was an emergency." Heero whispered, barely audible to he other occupants of the ship.

"Does anyone know what in the hell happened?" Sally suddenly exploded, slapping a hand on her knee.

Heero shook his head, "I don't know. Relena called me, upset. She said that a space ship had just tossed Duo onto her car and took off. Besides gathering what I could from the news reports, that is all I know."

"But his funeral---"

"It's like I told Trowa," Heero interrupted Wufei, "we saw a body. The autopsy was for _a body_. We all assumed it was Duo because it was in his aircraft, in _his _clothes, with _his _ID. Obviously is wasn't Duo that we mourned for."

The room went silent. Even the nervous looks given to them from the stewardesses went unnoticed. It was Wufei who broke the silence, going a different route from his previous attempt at a comment.

"You need to check yourself, Yuy. We are all unsettled by what has happened. You are not the only one who is confused, angry, or hurt. We will find out exactly what happened when we are allowed to see Maxwell and ask him ourselves."

"If he is even well enough to speak. Judging from the news he may not even be able, much less willing, to talk about what happened." Sally intervened.

She had not known Duo nearly as well as the three men before her. But she did see many traumas in her days as a medical officer. After all of this Duo could be in one or more of diverse conditions. One would only know when the man regained consciousness.

"It's just…I still can't even believe this. Where has Duo been all of this time? Who has he been with? And who _was _in that craft that exploded? Who was it we had cremated?" Trowa muttered, brows knit.

He had voiced all of their thoughts. None of it had made sense. Everything they had come to know had been a lie. Duo Maxwell had been the center of it too…they all remembered how much Duo hated lies.

**III. Familiar Faces**

Limousines awaited them when they arrived on L2, right outside of the station. A police escort was also available upon request from the Vice Foreign Minister herself. Mobs still lined the streets discussing the event, their curiosity elevated upon seeing three other ex-Gundam pilots arrive. Two of whom were in Preventer uniforms. The trip to the hospital was a short one; the roads were cleared for the escort, and when they finally pulled up to the hospital doors Heero was the first one out. He all but sprinted inside the building, demanding to know where Duo had been taken. The shaky receptionist at the desk informed them that he was in intensive care at the moment and they were more than welcome to have a seat in the waiting room.

The offer wasn't good enough, but it had to due. The four of them were led through several doors, finally coming to a stop in their assigned area. Two officers stood outside the door, observing them as they got closer. They nodded to the assistant and stepped away from the door. Heero was the first one in: Heero was the first one with an armful of a sobbing Relena.

"Oh, Heero. It was horrible." she cried, burying her head in his chest.

Slowly his hands came to rest on her trembling shoulder, "It's alright, Relena. We're here now. Tell us what happened."

She looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. Heero guided her over to a line of empty chairs, sitting down, and was followed by the others.

"I was finishing up talking about the future of this colony with its officials…I went outside to leave and a ship flew by and just…tossed him out. Oh Heero he looked so bad…" She burst into more tears, "That is it. I called you and I came here."

"Here, Heero…" Sally offered, outstretching her hands.

Heero edged Relena closer to her and she attached herself to the other woman. Sally wrapped her arms around her as she would an upset child, "Shhh, it's okay."

Heero took the freedom to hold his head in his hands. No one really had anything else to say. Besides brisk encounters between Heero and Wufei in their line of work, none of them had spoken in a long time. What was there to say? The last time they had all been together like this, minus Quatre, had been at Duo's funeral. Nothing much had been said then either.

"Oh, Duo…" Heero whispered, clenching his eyes closed.

Wufei must have heard him. He felt a friendly hand on his shoulder as a means of comfort.

It did nothing to chase away the trepidation in his heart.

**********

"Mr. Winner! A word, please!"

"Mr. Winner, what are you opinions on the situation at hand?"

"Mr. Winner, please say _something_!"

Quatre had developed a particular tactic early on in his line of work. With his old status as a Gundam pilot as well as having inherited the vast majority of his father's inheritance, on top of that having a hand in some political affairs, news reporters were constantly approaching him and monitoring his every move. He found that if he didn't talk to them they would eventually leave him alone for the time being. Kind of like an 'It won't see me if I don't move' approach. The flashing bulbs from various cameras followed him all the way to the hospital. He was relieved to see that the police were heavy in the area, keeping them away from the hospital especially.

"Duo Maxwell, please." he stated, coming up to the receptionist.

The woman sputtered, obviously recognizing him, "Mr. Winner! Several people have already come by to see Mr. Maxwell. He is in critical condition at the moment and they are currently in the waiting room. You are more than welcome to go there as well. It's down that hallway. Y-You will see the officers at the door."

She had a blush lighting her cheeks and she wouldn't make eye contact.

Quatre smiled at her, "Thank you, ma'am. I am very grateful for your help. You are doing a marvelous job."

Her blush deepened and she finally met his smile. Quatre waved at her as he walked in the direction she had pointed and nodded to the guards. They didn't stop him, even holding the door open, and he entered, taking in the sight of his old comrades.

Trowa was the first to meet his gaze, "Quatre."

"Hello everyone. It's nice seeing you after all this time. Though I am sure all of us can agree that it should have been under different circumstances."

It was just like Quatre to have a long, drawn out but incredibly polite greeting. Besides putting on a few pounds the Arab hadn't changed one bit. Fixing his eyes on the more distraught of the group, he gave Relena a small hug.

"I am so sorry Relena. Are you alright?"

Relena nodded from Sally's breast.

"Does anyone know anything yet? Has his condition changed…at all?" Quatre asked as he stood, taking a seat by Trowa.

"Nothing. We haven't been told anything of his condition except that it is bad." Heero was the first to answer.

Quatre blinked, "And it's getting even worse outside. The press is going crazy out there. Especially now that two government executives, five Gundam pilots, and Preventers are here."

Wufei snorted, "Just like them. They don't care that our friend is here, possibly dying."

"It's the exact opposite, as a matter of fact." Trowa started, "Duo is supposed to be dead. It is a miracle that he is still alive, _especially _after what happened in space. He just shows up inexplicably after nothing for two years. Something happened, and I don't think that we have seen the end of it. You can't possibly make me believe that it is pure coincidence that a Gundam pilot supposedly dies, the body completely unidentifiable, and then suddenly reappears as a projectile to the Vice Foreign Minister's personal vehicle."

"You're saying it's a conspiracy?" Heero lowered his hands, cobalt eyes iced to the core.

Relena had become quiet, sniffling, yet still clinging to Sally.

Trowa shook his head, "I don't know what I am saying, exactly. I just know that as a soldier I was trained, and I am sure you all know exactly what I am talking about, to _never_ overlook a gut feeling. Doing so can cost you your life."

A grim silence fell over them all. So it startled the lot of them when a doctor suddenly opened the door, a clipboard clutched in his hand.

"Are you the family of Duo Maxwell?" he asked, taking them all in.

They all shared a look.

"Yes." Heero said quickly, standing and meeting the doctor.

The doctor eyed them suspiciously; almost every one of them had different nationalities after all.

He shrugged, "Mr. Maxwell had been in bad shape when he was brought in. I am amazed, frankly, that he was even still alive. Of course, from what I have heard I am guessing that all of you are amazed that he is alive as well. He was malnourished and dehydrated. There were several contusions all over his body, cuts, broken bones, a dislocated shoulder, and a concussion, which I am assuming most of which was from his fall. Where he was dropped off naked I also administered a rape kit…" There was a collective gasp from the occupants of the room, "…which came to be negative. A few of his cuts will need stitches and he will have to keep off of his legs for a while due to a back injury. I am assuming one of you will be able to administer any care that he may need once he is released?"

That was the eternal question. Between the six of them, they each had their own lives to attend to. Trowa was first out of the picture. Where he was still in the circus the constant moving and, on occasion, being out in the middle of no where would do Duo no good if something were to go wrong. Quatre and Relena each had political responsibilities and were hardly home to begin with. And then Heero, Wufei, and Sally each had very risky jobs within the Preventers. None of them were actually able to fully take care of Duo.

But it was Quatre who stepped forward, "He can stay with me on L4. My home has many rooms and I have plenty of servants who would be more than willing to help. He would never want for anything. If anyone should want to pay a visit there is plenty of room for that too. And, as much as the media wants to get involved with this, my home is very secure and necessary precautions have been taken to avoid such exposal."

The doctor seemed satisfied, nodding, "That is good, Mr. Winner. Now we are allowing one visitor at a time to go back and see Mr. Maxwell. He is still unconscious but you are more than welcome to see him. I know it has been a while since any of you have, after all."

Quatre was the first to volunteer. He had been the closest to Duo, after Heero, during the war and after offering his home to the other pilot he felt a need to see the other man again. No one stopped him. The doctor led him through several doors, the later of which required an ID access card to unlock. They arrived to a room in no time and Quatre had a lump in his throat. He was actually kind of scared about what lie on the other side of this door.

"Go ahead, Mr. Winner. If you need anything just let one of the nurses know."

And the doctor was gone.

Quatre swallowed and carefully, quietly, opened the door. He immediately saw Duo laying on the bed, immobile, with all kinds of tubes and wires connecting him to various machines surrounding him. His leg was in a thick cast, propped up by a wedged pillow tucked underneath his knee as well as a thick bandage around his head. And the closer Quatre got the more noticeable the bruises and stitches became. He sat down in a chair at Duo's bedside.

"Hey there. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

He wasn't expecting an answer. He still observed that heart shaped face as he spoke, looking for any signs of consciousness.

"We were all devastated when we thought you had died two years ago. There were so many people at your funeral…and you had been cremated, just as you had asked."

Quatre couldn't help but feel awkward. He continued.

"Oh Duo, we missed you so much. When Heero called me and told me about you showing up again, I almost didn't believe him. We all thought you were dead." He smiled, "I am glad we have you back. None of us has spoken since your funeral and yet here we all are, Heero and Wufei included, believe it or not. You've brought us back together, Duo. I swear to you we will find out what happened, who did this, and in the meantime…until you have recovered, and even for longer period of time, if you wish…you will be staying with me. You will never need anything ever again. All I ask is that you pull out of this for us. We need you, Duo. You are the one that keeps us together."

Quatre could feel his eyes watering. He had missed Duo so much. He was sure the others did too, even if some of them didn't even admit it.

"I must leave you now, though. Everyone is here for you. Heero, Wufei, Trowa…even Sally and Relena."

The blonde stood, carefully, barely touching the other man, giving him a hug.

"I will send someone else back. It would be rude of me wasting all of the visitation time on myself. I will be here if you need me, Duo."

With that Quatre exited the room as quietly as he had entered, hailing down a nurse to take him to the waiting room and take someone else back. Heero had been next in line.

"Just to let you know…he doesn't look all that great." Quatre warned as he slid by him.

Heero nodded, wordlessly, following the nurse back to Duo. His brow furrowed upon entry of the dimly lit room. The stale smell of medicine and diverse medical equipment wafted in the air. He didn't like it. He had never liked hospitals, especially having being locked down in one only to have Duo save him.

Like a God of Death on white feathered wings.

"Duo…"

Heero didn't know what to say. Whereas he had more of a vocal vocabulary during the war then Wufei and especially Trowa, he had really never said much to Duo outside of assignment or the many times he had cursed his existence and troublesome nature. When the braided idiot had been pronounced dead he had been at the same loss of words.

"Duo, I…" he tried again.

Still nothing. His trained eyes did detect movement, though, and a light went off inside his head. The tremble of an eyebrow. The shudder of a lip.

"Duo…I should have pushed for a further investigation of your death. Trowa reminded me of how off the entire thing seemed. None of us thought anything of it. We had a body to cremate…"

Heero had never been good at expressing himself. Not as a soldier in the midst of combat or as a man trying to talk his friend out of a coma. He had been absolutely devastated when Duo had…died…two years ago. The war had done horrible things to all of them and Heero had used that as an excuse for his aloofness. You couldn't get hurt if you wouldn't let yourself get close to anyone.

He had been an idiot.

"Duo, I am sorry."

In fact, he had done something right. As those words left his mouth violet eyes snapped open and a scream of absolute terror ripped through the braided man's throat.

"_Get the hell away from me_!"

**IV. Twice Gone**

The heart monitor exploded with furious blares of beeps, the line on the screen zigzagging like a wild animal trying to outrun a predator chasing it down. Duo clambered like said animal as far away as the tubes would allow from the dark form before him.

"Duo! It's me, Heero!" the other man shouted, wanting to reach out.

He knew that would be a bad idea. You didn't approach an animal that was already cornered. You were liable to get hurt.

The heart monitor betrayed the sudden calm, disbelieving tone that rough voice took, "H-Heero…?"

Heero carefully edged himself closer to Duo, making sure that the other man could see both of his hands and not falsely accuse him, even in that mind of his, that he posed any sort of threat.

"Duo…" he repeated his name, leveling out his voice.

"Heero…" the other replied.

Slowly the heart monitor returned to a more regular pulse.

"Duo, are you alright?"

Duo groaned, collapsing back onto the bed, "I am in a shit ton of pain."

That was the Duo he knew. No obvious mental trauma at this time.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Violet eyes closed, "Last thing I remember…my space ship exploded."

His voice had an odd tinge to it.

Heero softly lay a hand on the brace supporting his wrist, "That is the only thing you remember? Nothing else?"

"No, sir." Duo remarked, and it was then that Heero took a good look at what he was saying.

He hadn't meant for this to be an interrogation.

"Heero…" Duo disrupted his thoughts, "…does anyone know what happened in space?"

Heero shook his head, "Nothing. Last thing the Sweepers heard from you was something about an old, beaten down ship. You were going to salvage it and your connection was cut. After a few hours of no communication they contacted us. I wasn't the one who investigated your disappearance at first but they found your ship in pieces and someone, whom we believed to be you, floating amidst the wreckage. The body was…very similar to yours in appearance and even had your ID and Sweepers uniform."

"Do they know what caused the explosion?" Duo pushed, covering his face with his good arm.

Heero shook his head, "No."

"What about the others? Are they here too?"

"Yes. Quatre was the first to come back to see you. I came in after him."

"Well I'll be damned. 'Fei is here too?"

"Yes. Relena and Sally are here as well. You were dropped off by a sort of aircraft…right onto Relena's vehicle." Heero added, startled when Duo shot up in bed once again.

"What?! Who dropped me off? And is Relena alright?" he snapped.

"No one knows yet. No one got a good look at the craft, with what I have gathered from the news---"

"Aww, man, you mean it was all on the _news_?" Duo groaned, falling back down onto the bed.

"Yes. Quatre said it is pretty bad outside. And Relena is fine, if a little shaken."

Duo sighed in relief, "That's good. Has anyone called Howard? I am sure the old goat will be glad to know I am still alive."

"I had actually forgotten. Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei were my top priority."

"Heero…I don't mean to change the subject or anything, but I have to get out of this hospital." the braided man mumbled, sitting up once again.

He vigorously began trying to disconnect himself from the machines.

Heero tried to stop him, "No, Duo, those are for your own good. You were dehydrated and malnourished, among other things, and---don't take that out!"

Heero slapped Duo's hand when the other tried taking his IV, inciting a hiss of pain, "This coming from the psycho who set his own broken leg? Excuse me!"

The IV was removed anyway and it was no time before they were surrounded by furious beeps and blinking lights. Heero could only glare at Duo.

"Mr. Yuy! Is everything alright?" someone shouted as a herd of nurses filled the room.

"No. This idiot won't stay in bed."

"I am not staying here. I hate hospitals."

Heero pushed him back down onto the bed, this time keeping his hand on his shoulders, "When the doctor releases you, you are more than welcome to go to Quatre's. He offered his home to you and is willing to pay for anything you need. Until then you need to stay here."

"Fuck you, Heero Yuy! I am _not _staying here!" Duo growled, attempting to, failing, to push the other away.

A small pinprick in his arm snapped him out of his drugged rage, "What the hell?"

One of the nurses pulled an empty syringe away, waving it at him as she chastised, "Mr. Maxwell you are in no condition to be doing anything. I am sorry but we had to sedate you before you hurt yourself or someone else."

Duo went limp.

"Son of a bitch."

**********

"Heero! What happened?" Sally prodded as Heero was let back into the waiting room.

The dark haired man sighed, "He woke up and wanted to leave. They had to sedate him."

"How is he?" Relena questioned.

She had stopped crying but her eyes were still red.

"He seems okay. Not at all troubled by what happened."

Wufei rolled his eyes, "Just like him."

"He was very…adamant upon leaving. I have never known him to be that unnerved by hospitals." Heero whispered, taking his seat back.

"Perhaps something happened while he was away that would cause him to panic." Trowa put in, eying Heero down.

The other man shook his head, "No, he said he doesn't remember anything. I believe him."

"He may not remember. It could be in his subconscious." Sally through out there, playing with one of her braids.

"Are they going to allow any more people back there to see him?" Trowa asked.

"I doubt it." Heero responded, exasperated.

"Not to change the subject or anything, but we need to discuss how we are going to handle the press." Wufei cut in, running a hand through the tight knot of his hair.

"All we can do is tell them what we know." Quatre reasoned.

"But what do we know? Duo is alive. That's pretty much it." Heero objected, mimicking Wufei's action.

"Lady Une, more than likely, will want to address this personally." Wufei stated.

Silence fell over them.

Heero opened his mouth to speak but closed it again when the overhead intercom bleeped to life, "Code Adam in intensive care room 247, Code Adam in intensive care room 247."

Quatre slapped a hand to his head, "Please don't tell me…"

"247 is Duo's room number." Heero growled.

"And if I remember correctly…a Code Adam is a missing person." Trowa added, sighing.

**V. The Slums Of L-2**

"What do you mean he was just gone? I watched you give him a sedative."

Heero was trying not to sound pissed. They had all feared the worst upon hearing the Code Adam over the intercom and when a couple of nurses as well as the two guards entered the room their fears were confirmed. Duo was gone. Again.

"We _did_ give him a sedative, sir. Not even minutes after we hooked him back up we got a signal from the machines telling us they had been unhooked once more. When we went in there to check on Mr. Maxwell he was gone. We assume that he escaped out of the window---"

"From the second story? In his condition? The idea is absurd! You'd think that somebody would have noticed a human bandage limping from the premises! What makes you think he was not kidnapped?" Quatre all but shouted.

The nurse taking the brunt of their questions was almost in tears, "I don't _know_, Mr. Winner! We walked in there and he was gone! I monitor the patients' vitals, I don't know where Mr. Maxwell went!"

"You need to calm yourselves. Keeping a level mind at this point is essential in finding Duo. She is right…she couldn't possibly have known the capabilities of a former Gundam pilot. You said he wanted to leave, right Heero?" Relena edged herself to the brunette's side, raising her voice to get through to him, "Who is to say that he didn't fake sedation and leave when he was alone? They don't know any more than we do, Heero. If Duo did escape he can't have gone far with his injuries. This is his colony…where would he go?"

"He…never talked much about this place." Quatre sighed, frowning.

"He grew up on the streets until he was taken in by a church. The church ended up being destroyed. Then he was taken in by Professor G." Heero put in, earning surprised looks from his friends, "I remember him telling me during the war. I paid him no mind at the time."

"Well that church is as good of a place as any to start looking. Do we know where it's at?" Trowa asked.

"Are you talking about the old Maxwell church, sir?" the other nurse piped up and when she received surprised looks she added, "I put two and two together…Mr. Maxwell taken in by a church that was destroyed…the Maxwell church made sense."

"Where is this church?" Wufei questioned.

"You make a left out of the hospital entrance and take Main Street down for several miles. You will eventually come to the old slums. You will be able to see the difference…most of the slums were destroyed just before the war. Then take another left onto Second Street and the ruins of the church is right there. Can't miss it."

"Let's get going." Heero declared, making a beeline for the door, "Relena, you and Sally stay put. From what I heard from Duo, a woman, be that Vice Foreign Minister or Preventer, in the slums is a bad idea. I take it you have a hotel in the area?"

"Yes, Heero, but---"

"Go there. I will give you a call when we find something out."

Relena frowned, "I will. But you guys need to be careful."

"If someone is able to take out four ex Gundam pilots, two of whom are armed, then we have a serious problem." Wufei commented.

"Two men in Preventers uniforms should be enough. I am more worried about getting there without the news reporters tailing us." Trowa snorted.

"Duo managed to do it." Quatre pointed out.

"Then out the window it is." Heero concluded, earning a nervous laugh from the blonde, "Relena, you and Sally leave first. Maybe you will keep their attention and make it a little easier on us."

"Right."

"Take care of my bag, please." Trowa directed to a nurse, handing his shoulder bag to her, "I will be back for it."

Heero glared at another nurse, "Take us to Duo's room. Now."

**********

Their plan had worked perfectly. As soon as Relena and Sally were in sight of the reporters they flagged them down, forming a tight circle around the pair. Relena was calm in answering their questions, not giving out any information that she deemed unfit. Just enough to keep them busy.

Trowa was the first to leap from the window, making it look easy as he landed in a crouch. Quatre was behind him, followed by Heero and Wufei. Once they were a safe distance away they hailed down a cab. Wufei took the passengers seat and when the driver noticed his badge, he didn't object.

"Take us to Second Street."

Heero was just thankful that L-2 was nothing like New York City. The ride took no time and before too long the large skyscrapers were replaced with dingy, collapsed buildings and the local businessman with the streetwalker. Definitely not a place for a woman.

"Here you go, guys." the driver said quickly.

He rattled off a price and Quatre paid him, even throwing in a little extra for his effort.

"You be careful here." the man warned quickly, taking off before any of them could say another word.

"So this is where Maxwell grew up." Wufei observed in distain.

"That must be the church." Heero pointed down the road a bit.

Indeed, the obvious debris of a church lay before them. Stones and burnt wood were scattered everywhere with a large, crooked crucifix looming above.

"Duo!" Quatre called, holding his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice.

The name echoed around them and drew some stares, but no one answered.

"Duo!" Heero mimicked the blonde's actions.

Still nothing.

"Maybe he isn't here." Wufei suggested with an arched eyebrow.

"Where else could he have gone? We'll never find him…" Quatre sighed.

"This is the place he grew up." Trowa gestured around them, "If he does not want to be found, chances are, he won't be. That was probably his mind set then as it is now. He probably thinks we will take him back to the hospital."

"By all means that is where he needs to be. The war is over. No one is going to out of their way to see him killed, especially in a hospital. And for whomever is after him…he will be his safest with us." Heero objected with a glare.

Trowa shrugged, "According to who? You? Maybe Duo doesn't feel that way."

"Duo!" Quatre tried again, voice cracking.

"Think, Yuy…did he say anything else to you during the war about L-2? Any place he could have gone?" Wufei tried as he kneeled on the ground to pick something up that caught his eye.

It was a broken toy, a soldier, half melted at the arm and head. The Chinese man closed his eyes as if reciting a prayer and stuffed the thing into his jacket pocket.

"All I can say is some kind of church. He has always been rather fond of them." Heero answered.

"We can split up and check them all out. As famous as Duo's face is he can't be that hard to miss." Quatre suggested with a shrug.

Heero nodded, "Wufei, you go with Trowa. Quatre, come with me. We will take the east and you two take the west. If you come across any problems or find him, use your radio."

The Chinese man nodded, "Good luck."

"Same to you."

The four parted ways with their respective directions, losing sight of one another as they traversed down the alleys.

"Have you seen a man in bandages come by with a long braid?" Heero asked every person he came across.

He was rewarded with a swift shake of the head each time.

"Are there any other churches in the area besides the old Maxwell Church?" Quatre asked one in particular.

It was a little boy with wild hair and greasy skin, "Yea, da ol' Carpenta's Chu'ach down da road a few mias. It ain't real fance. Guys like ya prolly won' like it much."

It took the two Preventers a couple of seconds to translate what the boy had said in their minds. Carpenter's Church down the road a few miles. Not fancy, like they would be accustomed to. Duo, on the other hand…

"Thank you. Here you go…" Quatre took a wallet out of his back pocket and handed him a few dollars.

The child huffed, "I don' need ya stinkin' handats! But…thanks."

Rough around the edges, but they could tell he was grateful. That would at least be enough to get him something nice to eat.

"Now, where is Carpenter's Church?" Quatre asked softly.

"Is down 'un Carpenta's Street."

Quatre nodded, "Good of a place as any to start. Thanks again."

"No prob, man."

And the child ran off, taking a corner of the alley to sharp and nearly falling. Heero could imagine a braid in his wake, a young Duo aiding two strangers who meant him no harm in their time of need. He never realized how much he had missed the braided idiot those past two years.

"Come on, Heero." Quatre urged, breaking him from his thoughts.

They walked on down the road, carefully reading the street signs through the graffiti and dirt.

"There. Carpenter's Street." Heero pointed at the warped sign on the corner.

They turned down the road, keeping to the sidewalk. Children became more common the further down they strolled. Quatre stopped him and pointed.

"That must be the church."

Indeed, this one was much better off than the Maxwell Church. It was fenced in with more children playing in the yard, younger than the ones they had already come across. The bricks were a deep brown, as were the shutters and shillings, and the windows still vibrant with stained glass. Two nuns stood in the courtyard watching the children. They frowned when the Preventers approached. One broke off to meet them at the gate.

"Can I help you?" she prodded, uneasy.

"We are not here to bring you trouble, I give you my word. We are here looking for a friend of ours who left the hospital he was supposed to be staying at." Heero explained, trying not to sound intimidating.

They were the outcasts here.

"What makes you think he came here, if I may ask?"

"He has always loved churches. He once told me that he was taken in by one…the Maxwell Church. We checked there and didn't find him. We just want to make sure that he doesn't get hurt." Heero answered.

The nun seemed to toss something around in her mind. She then proceeded to unlock the gate.

"You both have good intentions about you. The young man you are looking for is here, speaking with Father Cowan. I am not sure if they are finished yet but you are more than welcome to check."

Heero felt a wave of relief wash over him and Quatre smiled brightly, "Thank you, Sister!"

The two of them slid through the gate and all but ran up the path to the stoop of the church, smiling to the other nun as they cautiously opened the door and entered. The second set of doors were propped open and they made their way through, taking the interior in with awe. The inside was obviously once as marvelous and extravagate as they came, with dingy burgundy carpets and deep wooden walls with scratches all over them. The faux lighting from the colony bled through the stained glass, leaving warped variations of color and patterns on the surface of the room. And down the isle, knelt awkwardly before an elderly priest, was Duo, wrapped in bandages and clinging a hospital gown to his thin frame.

"D---"

"Shhh." Heero interrupted Quatre before he could interrupt a surreal moment and nodded for a pew, where they took a seat.

**VI. Departure**

Heero checked his watch. They had been waiting on Duo for nearly half an hour. He had long since contacted Trowa and Wufei to let them know that the braided man had been found, and now the four of them sat, watching Duo. Occasionally he would shift, tense up at what Heero assumed was a flash of pain, and continue talking to Father Cowan.

"Have any of you heard what they are talking about?" Wufei pondered, arms crossed.

He spoke in a hushed voice.

"Not one word." Heero whispered back.

He couldn't take his eyes off of Duo. Even after the war he hadn't looked this much at peace. Yet he was so distraught at the same time.

"You know…you guys can all come and stay with me on L-4 too." Quatre offered with a hopeful smile.

"I can't possibly. Lady Une---"

Wufei was interrupted by Heero, "I am sure that Lady Une will understand if we took some time off. We lost a partner…a friend. And we just got him back. I don't think she will be that upset if we cashed in some unused vacation time to help with his recovery."

"I will be more than glad to help in any way I can as well. The circus can go on a couple of months without me." Trowa said, earning a smile from Quatre.

"Wufei?" the blonde prodded, those baby blues sparkling with hope.

The Chinese man sighed, "I suppose I can."

"Hey…I think they are done." Trowa exclaimed, sitting up in the pew.

Duo had stood, leaning heavily against the priest for support, and they talked briefly with their heads bowed. Duo then parted from Father Cowan and turned, startled upon finding four familiar sets of eyes staring at him. Father Cowan must have asked him if everything was alright because the violet eyed man turned with a small smile, lips moving in an unheard sentence. He then limped down the isle towards his fellow ex-Gundam pilots, his smile warping, appearing more sad than apologetic. The closer he got the easier it was to tell that he had been crying. The four of them stood when Duo stopped before them.

"Sorry guys. But I did tell you that I couldn't stay in that hospital." he muttered, "Hope I didn't cause too much of a fuss."

"Nonsense." Quatre laughed, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Duo mumbled something and outstretched his arms, beckoning the other three over. With a shared confused look they approached him warily, taken by surprise when Duo gathered them all up in a hug. He hissed in pain but squeezed them as tight as he could. As if they would all disappear.

"I love you guys. I missed you so much."

"Oh, Duo." Quatre sobbed, tears welling up in his own eyes as he returned the bear hug.

Wufei even wrapped an arm around Duo's thin, fragile form and gave a reassuring clutch.

"Quat…I don't mind staying at your place until I recover. I just can't be stuck in a hospital, y'know?" Duo explained, voice shaky,

"It's fine, Duo. You can stay as long as you want. Any of you can. While you are there the Preventers can investigate what happened and find out what happened to you---"

"No." Duo snapped, "I don't want this getting any bigger than it already has. I will be fine, and with you guys here, I will be even better. I don't care what happened…I just…I want peace now."

"And you will get it, my friend." Trowa assured.

"We won't let anything happen to you Duo. Ever again." Heero whispered in the braided man's ear.

He felt Duo's arm tighten around him, "Now that that's been said, let's get going. I am sure we have quite the trip to L-4 ahead of us."

He broke away, leaning on Quatre for support.

"You are ready to leave _now_?" Quatre cocked an eyebrow at him.

Duo nodded, "Yes _now_. If you put me back in that hospital I will just run away again."

"I guess we will just have to tell them to strap you to the bed. Put you in a straight jacket. That seems to suit you well enough."

Duo gaped at Wufei, "O. M. G. Was that a _joke_ from THE Chang Wufei?"

Wufei couldn't help but smile when Duo slung an arm over his shoulder, "Better not get used to it. It's not every day people just come back from the grave like you did."

Duo shook his head, "Yeah."

"How are we going to get him on the shuttle? I am sure the press will be all over it." Quatre asked.

A sudden realization, "And Duo is practically naked."

"Pfft, never heard you complain before." the braided man countered.

Quatre giggled, "That's because I have never seen you naked, silly."

"Then now's a fine time to start."

"First thing is first." Heero interrupted their joking, "We do need to get him some clothes. I was called from the office so I didn't get a chance to pack anything he could borrow until we get to L-4."

"I packed some things. He is more than welcome to borrow some of my clothes, if they fit." Trowa offered.

"That will work." Duo laughed.

It almost sounded hollow.

"We will have to go back to the hospital. I left it with a nurse when we found you missing."

Duo gave him a sheepish look, "I'm sorry."

Trowa shook his head, "No need to be. We all have a fear of hospitals, to an extent."

"The faster we get there the faster we can leave." Heero pushed and started to walk.

The group made their way out of the church and through the courtyard, where the nuns and the children wished Duo a farewell. The braided man had to stop and tell them goodbye as he went, patting some of the children on the head even though he knew none of them. Their trip through the slums was more pleasant this time around, with Duo by their side to guide them and telling them a brief story when something came into view that struck up an old memory. It took no time for them to get back into the main city, where a cab was hailed and they piled in. The hospital came into view within a few moments and, much to Heero's relief, the reporters were nowhere to be found.

_Thank you, Relena._

"I will go with Duo inside. You wait out here. We will be back soon." Trowa helped Duo out of the cab and used himself as a crutch for the braided boy as he limped inside.

"I am so excited. It'll be like old times…without the war, I mean." Quatre exclaimed.

He was beaming.

"I don't know how long I can stay, though. I shouldn't even take a week off from work." Wufei complained.

"It will be alright. If all else fails we can get in contact with the L-4 branch of Preventers for some work time." Heero objected.

"True. Which reminds me…I do need to call Lady Une and inform her. You might want to call Po and Peacecraft and fill them in."

"Will do."

Heero and Wufei each pulled out a cell phone and began dialing and Quatre sighed, opting to stare out of the window. He listened to Wufei explain the situation to Lady Une and assumed that she was okay with their vacation time---not like they haven't earned it many times over---and to Heero thanking Relena for her efforts and ask if they were alright. Both conversations were brief and to the point.

"Relena said that her and Sally will return to Earth. She wants us to keep her updated. She told the press that Duo had been released under confidential orders and taken to a private medical facility."

"Which isn't lying." Wufei pointed out.

"Which isn't lying." Heero confirmed.

"I guess I should call my pilot and let him know we will be there shortly." Quatre gasped, whipping his own cell phone out and dialing.

"Here they come." Wufei announced.

Heero turned in that direction and watched as Trowa helped Duo down some stairs. Out of his hospital gown and in a pair of pajama pants and a snug cotton top, Heero took in the sight of Duo appreciatively. He looked a lot better, both physically and mentally. Some of his bandages had been taped up and Heero even noticed a couple of signatures on his leg cast done in a bright pink pen.

"Yuy?" Wufei nudged him, knocking him out of his reverie.

Heero hadn't realized he had been ogling the other man, "Yes?"

"I don't know. Take a picture or something. It might last longer and won't be nearly as loud." Wufei retorted with a smile.

Heero snorted, "I think I missed it when you didn't crack jokes."

Wufei laughed as Trowa opened the door, helping Duo inside.

"I think the sedatives may be starting to do their magic. He is getting sluggish." the green eyed man informed, taking his own seat in the cab, "To the space port, please."

"Sure thing."

By the time they arrived a the port Duo could barely keep his eyes open. A wheelchair was provided upon request and the braided man collapsed onto it. They made a beeline for Quatre's personal ship and were greeted warmly by the flight attendants as they boarded.

"Here, Wufei, help me get Duo into the seat." Heero prodded, gently lifting Duo's legs.

Wufei laced his arms beneath Duo's, helping the Japanese man lift him up and lay him down.

"He is so light." Wufei pointed out with a frown.

Quatre sighed, "Who knows what happened to him while he was away. At least we have him back now though."

Heero took the seat in between Duo and Wufei, with Trowa and Quatre sitting by one another on the opposite block of chairs.

"We are ready for takeoff, Mr. Winner." the pilot announced.

"Thank you, Beck. Ready when you are."

The ship roared to life, shaking slightly as it was guided out of the colony by various machines. Heero stiffened when Duo's head fell onto his shoulder.

Duo let out a contented sigh, "Oh, Heero."

**VII. Third Time's A Charm**

The ride to L-4 was quite awkward for Heero. Duo laid with his head on his shoulder the entire time, occasionally mumbling something in his sleep. Heero had heard his name spoken a couple of times and it left a fleeting feeling in his heart that he had no explanation for. He couldn't decipher anything going through his mind since Duo had been thrust back into their lives. And he most certainly didn't know whether or not to be excited or down right frightened.

A limousine awaited them when they finally did arrive on L-4 hours later, compliments of Quatre. Duo was loaded up without incident and without disturbing his sleep, and for that Heero was thankful. The braided man resumed his use of Heero's shoulder until they had to move him once again at Quatre's manor.

"We can keep him in a room on the first floor. It will be easier for him to access the rest of the house that way." the blonde said, leading them in the direction of Duo's soon-to-be room.

Heero and Wufei maneuvered through the lush furniture and antiques with the brunette in their arms.

"This is quite the place you've got here, Winner." Wufei complimented.

"Thank you." the blonde smiled as he opened one of many doors in the hallway.

He turned a lamp on as Heero and Wufei carried Duo inside, directing them to the lavish bed where Duo was placed.

"Do you guys need any clothes? Or toiletries?" Quatre asked in a hushed voice.

"I do. I left in a hurry from the office I didn't get a chance to pack anything." Heero answered, bringing a thick blanket up to tuck Duo in.

"Wufei?" Quatre pushed, eying the Chinese man.

Wufei sighed, "I do as well."

"Okay. I have some extra clothes packed away that you two can borrow until you have the time to go shopping. As far as the toiletries go…I think I have plenty to sustain you." the blonde smiled, "Are either of you hungry? It's been quite the day."

"Starving." Heero answered, glancing at Wufei, who nodded.

"Great. I will have some lunch ready in a few. Until then…make yourselves at home. I can show you where you will be staying---"

"I want a room close to Duo's, if at all possible." Heero interrupted.

Quatre nodded, "That can easily be arranged. Any preferences, Wufei?"

"Not at all."

"Alright then. Follow me."

Heero and Wufei followed Quatre out of the room, meeting up with Trowa who stood just outside the door.

"You can have this room right here, Heero. It's right next door to Duo's, just in case you might hear anything you feel the need to investigate. Wufei, you can take the room across the hall from Duo. Trowa, do you have any requests?"

The other man shook his head.

Quatre grinned, "You can take the room next to Wufei then, if you like."

Trowa nodded, "That will be fine. Thank you."

Quatre clapped his hands together, "Perfect. Now if you guys want to get ready before lunch you are more than welcome. I can have the supplies in your quarters refreshed and some clothes delivered. How about some sandwiches and a fruit tray?"

No one objected so Quatre assumed it was okay. He bid them all farewell and left in the direction they came, probably to his own quarters to freshen up. Heero nodded to the other two men before retreating to his own room, where he closed the door behind him. He leaned heavily against it, sighing as he rested his head against its surface. What was he thinking, taking off work to help with Duo? He was digging a hole for himself, one that he hoped he would be able to climb back out of once this was all over and done with. He just had to make sure Duo was going to be alright. He felt a need to protect the other man.

He pushed away from the door with a sigh, shedding his Preventers jacket and pulling his undershirt off. His pants and boxers followed and there he stood in his birthday suit as he turned the water on for a much needed shower. He left the door cracked as he slipped in, rolling his shoulders as the steaming water cascaded over his body. Perhaps this vacation would do him good. Give him some time to clear his thoughts and figure out what it was about Duo Maxwell that he just couldn't keep his mind off of.

He growled, slamming a fist into the shower wall. Opting to clean himself instead of destroying Quatre's mansion, he lathered his hair up and scrubbed, digging his fingernails into his scalp. He had _never_ felt this way about _anyone _before. Doctor J would have had his head on a platter during the war if such nonsense had been on his mind then. But then again…the war was over. They were living in a time of peace.

"Damn it, Duo. What have you done to me?"

He needed an answer. He had a feeling that it wouldn't come so easy though. He finished cleaning himself quickly and searched the cabinets for some towels. One was wrapped around his hips and the other was used to dry his hair as he stepped back into his room, cocking his head at the neatly folded clothes resting on his bed. He hadn't even heard a knock. After brushing his teeth and hair he put on the clean clothes and ventured out into the hallway. He heard Wufei moving around in his own bedroom and decided to sneak into Duo's. The other man was still unconscious in his bed, a furrowed look on his brow.

"Duo…" Heero whispered, running a hand through his bangs.

He got no response. Groaning, he stood and left the room, closing the door silently behind him. It took a couple of seconds to find someone to ask where Quatre was. The maid informed him that the blonde was on the patio. He opened the hurricane doors to find him sitting with Trowa. The two were drinking tea.

"Hello, Heero." Quatre greeted.

Heero nodded to him and took a seat.

"Everything alright?" the blonde questioned, slightly worried.

Heero sighed, "Yes."

Quatre didn't look convinced. But he didn't push it. Wufei joined them a few minutes later.

"Thank you, Winner. That was much needed."

"No problem." Quatre flagged down a butler, "Would you bring those snacks I requested, please?"

The butler nodded and left the room quickly.

"So…when do you two plan on going out?" Quatre began their conversation, offering them cups to drink.

"I may go tomorrow. Get out of the house while Duo is still unconscious." Heero mumbled, enthusiastically taking the cup.

He remembered how much he had enjoyed Quatre's tea during the war.

"I might as well go too. Get it over and done with." was Wufei's answer, mimicking Heero's actions.

"So, Trowa." Quatre turned to the other man, "How goes the circus? How is Catherine?"

"Everything is well. Before I got Heero's call we were practicing a new routine." Trowa replied.

He went into an explanation of his new show with Catherine, earning the occasional 'ooh' from Quatre.

"How about the Preventers? How is that life treating you?" the blonde directed to Heero and Wufei.

"It's alright." Heero commented.

Wufei shrugged, "Yuy and I work in separate divisions. He is stationed in New York whereas I am stationed in Dallas with Po as my partner. As far as I know Yuy is still in the field."

Heero nodded. He opened his mouth to deliver a summary of his own affairs when something caught his eye through the glass of the door. A stirring of the shadows within the mansion, something swift and careful…

The butler opened the door with a tray balanced on an upturned hand, another pot of tea in his other.

"Here you are, sir." he offered the tray to Quatre, who took it with a smile.

"Thank you."

The butler nodded, setting the other pot of tea on the table as well before he walked back into the house. Heero's eyes narrowed, focusing on the suspicious shadow he had witnessed earlier. He saw no movement.

"God damn it." he swore, standing.

He earned surprised looks from his friends but gave no explanation as he walked back into the house, straight for Duo's room. He opened the door and took in the empty bed.

"What?! He's gone _again_?!" Quatre moaned, slipping passed Heero into the room.

Wufei sighed and Trowa shook his head with a strange smile on his face.

"Where could he have even gone this time?" the blonde exclaimed.

He sounded in a near panic.

Trowa laid his hand on his shoulder, "Calm down, Quatre. I am sure he is alright. He probably came to and just wanted to get some fresh air."

"If you say so." Wufei huffed, crossing his arms.

Heero pushed by them with a determined look on his face, crossing the room to where he had seen the movement. He began opening each door he traversed, doing a quick scan before moving on to the next.

_What is that idiot thinking? Someone is after him and he doesn't give a shit._ Heero was fuming.

He stopped when he went to grab another doorknob and it moved without him, the door opening to reveal a sheepish Duo.

"Hey Heero."

Heero pressed by him and peered into the room. It was a magnificent library with rows upon rows of books and an old desktop computer sitting off to the side. Heero just stared at Duo, waiting for an explanation.

"Hey now, don't give me that look. I woke up. I didn't want to stay crammed up so I decided to show myself around." the braided man piped up.

"Duo! There you are!" Quatre cried out, embracing him.

Duo patted him on the head.

"Maxwell! You need to stop running off like that!" Wufei chastised.

"Jeez, I am sorry! You all know me, I can't sit still!" Duo whined.

"You need to stay in bed and recover a little. Or sit in a chair. Just take it easy." Quatre pouted.

No one could say no to _that _look.

Duo sighed, "Fine, fine. But let me hang out with you guys. I hate being alone."

He limped on, dragging Quatre with him. Trowa followed them and Wufei gave Heero a puzzled look as the man brought up the history for the computer.

It was blank.

**VIII. Contact**

Duo seemed to act much better once he was able to join the others outside. He sat with them, listening to their stories, making his own comments and munching on the fruit tray.

He took great interest in what the others had been doing for the past two years. Quatre sensed a sadness from him during that discussion though…probably where he had no joyful stories to tell. He used his bad arm as much as possible to get used to the movements, occasionally hissing in pain yet continuing on.

"You are going to end up hurting yourself even more." Heero pointed out.

Duo sulked at him, "It will never get better if I don't build its strength back up."

Stubborn mule.

"He is just worrying over you, Duo. We all are." Quatre explained, patting the other's hand.

"Yeah, but I ain't no damn kid anymore." the violet eyed man retorted.

"Could have fooled me." Wufei mumbled under his breath as he took a drink of his tea.

Duo poked at him, "I heard that, Waffles."

Wufei choked. He hadn't heard that nickname in a very long time. Quatre laughed at Wufei's expense and Heero couldn't help but crack a smile too.

"Holy hell! What _have _I missed? The Perfect Soldier comes in a smiling unit now?! When was this programmed in?" Duo cackled like a madman, beaming at Heero.

The Japanese man shook his head, "Question does not compute."

It was Duo's turn to choke and this time Wufei and even Trowa had to cracked a grin. Quatre laughed with him and in that instant, they were all teenage boys again.

"Have I told you guys that I love you yet? I mean, this passed hour?" Duo breathed through his chuckles.

Quatre laughed, "Not this passed hour, no."

Duo nodded, "I love you guys."

"We love you too, Duo." the blonde replied.

"Why don't you come shopping with us tomorrow? If you are feeling up to it." Heero suddenly asked.

He missed the glare from Quatre, ignored the kick from underneath the table, "He shouldn't be going out at all!"

"It should be his decision. We've already seen that if he does not want to do something, he won't. What do you say, think some fresh air will do you some good?"

"Would it ever!" Duo cheered.

Heero couldn't help but smile at Duo. Those violet eyes were glowing at him.

Wufei didn't miss it, "I think I will let you two go yourselves. I will probably check out couple of places by myself."

"Aww, Waffles no wanna baby-sit?" Duo said in a childlike voice.

Wufei only grinned, shaking his head, "You will never know, my friend." he stood, stretching, "So, Winner, when do you plan on having dinner? I am actually a bit tired from our trip."

"Whenever you guys like." Quatre answered.

"Well I'm not hungry anymore. But I could take another nap." Duo added.

"See! You wear yourself out to easy!" Quatre chastised, gently slapping Duo's hand.

Duo simply waved it at him, standing, "So…dinner at 9?"

"That is fine with me." Trowa nodded.

Heero also stood, "As with me. I will also be keeping an eye on you while you sleep."

"What?" Duo drawled in that whiney voice.

"You obviously can't be left alone by yourself." the brunette explained with a wolfish smirk and crossed arms.

"What? Poor Maxwell doesn't want a babysitter?" Wufei poked.

Duo snorted, "If he feels the need, I guess."

"After today…yeah, I feel the need."

Duo limped off, grumbling, with Heero on his tail.

"Best be careful, Maxwell! I heard your face can get stuck if you keep it like that!"

Wufei's last views of the old Deathscythe pilot was one of him flipping the bird.

"Guess I can't complain, though." Duo started once they were out of earshot, "I am glad Wufei has opened up a bit. You have too, y'know?"

Heero cocked his head, "How do you mean?"

Duo shrugged, "I don't know. I was playing around earlier. You aren't the perfect soldier anymore. You are more…well, more human."

"I have always been a human. That's all any of us are. We just had to build up our own masks during the war as protection." Heero commented.

He watched as Duo opened his bedroom door with his bad arm, slightly jerky with the movement, "…Yeah…protection…"

The two entered the dimly lit room, left just as Heero had last seen it. Duo began awkwardly shedding his clothes.

"Do you need any help?"

Duo paused with Trowa's shirt wrapped around his neck and elbows, blinking at Heero, "I might."

Heero chuckled as he took hold of the garment, stretching to slide it up and over Duo's up stretched arms. He stiffened when he felt Duo's bare chest against his own, taking a step back. Duo tried to copy his actions, tripping over his cast in the process. But he never hit the ground as Heero reached out to him, grabbing a hold of his good arm and waist. He helped the other man regain his footing, a slight blush brightening his cheeks. He couldn't tell if Duo was blushing too or not. He was scared to look and find out.

Duo sat down heavily on the bed, "Thanks…you know, for everything."

Heero nodded, keeping his eyes to the floor as Duo adjusted the blankets and pillows to his liking. He was quick to lay down and Heero took a seat at the bedside desk.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, Heero. It's alright."

Heero sighed in relief. Duo didn't sound one bit upset with him, embarrassed or otherwise.

"Thank you, Heero."

Heero blinked, finally letting his eyes fall on the braided man's form.

"It's no problem at all, Duo."

**********

"Heero! Duo! Dinner time!" Quatre knocked on the bedroom door, snapping Heero into consciousness.

He hadn't even realized he'd been asleep, "Yes, Quatre! Be right there."

Heero heard the blonde walk off, turning his head to Duo. The man was still there, wonder of all wonders, and sleeping peacefully. Some strands of hair had released themselves from that braid and were strewn about, giving the illusion of a twisted halo. He really didn't know if he had the heart to wake the other man. He reached out with his hand, gently shaking his shoulder.

"Duo?"

No response. Heero sighed and leaned in closer.

"Duo?"

A response was mumbled but he didn't quite catch it. He leaned in further to where his lips were mere inches from the others ear. It was almost surreal.

"Duo?"

Violet eyes snapped open and Duo gasped, knocking Heero out of his reverie.

"Sorry, you weren't waking up. Quatre said that dinner was ready." he explained quickly.

Duo nodded, "Okay. Just need to get my clothes back on."

"You go ahead. I will head on down."

And just like that Heero was gone, quietly closing the door behind him.

"You are falling for him, aren't you?" Wufei's hushed, accusing voice startled him.

"Why do you say that?" Heero whispered, regaining his composure.

"You didn't deny it just now, for one." the Chinese man smirked.

Heero shook his head, "Honestly…I don't know."

"How can you not know? If you love somebody, you love somebody."

"I know. It's just…I've never felt these emotions before." Heero sighed.

Wufei motioned for him to follow, and they quietly walked down the hallway to stare through the glass doors at Trowa and Quatre.

"Look at them. What do you see?"

Quatre and Trowa sat across from one another and Quatre was talking, occasionally laughing, and even the corners of Trowa's mouth would twist upward.

"They are conversing about something." Heero tried, glancing up at Wufei.

"No, Yuy. Look at how they are sitting. Look at that sparkle in Barton's eyes, the glow that is just radiating from Winner. They are in love."

"I know they care deeply for one another---"

"But there is a difference between caring deeply for someone and loving them. Do you love Peacecraft?" Wufei interrupted.

"No."

"Would you let anything happen to her? Do you care deeply for her?"

"No and yes."

Wufei slapped him on the back, "See what I mean? Do you care deeply for Maxwell?"

"Yes."

"Now…do you love him?"

Heero's mouth moved with unspoken words, "I…I…"

He slapped it closed when a door behind them opened and the two turned to face Duo as the other emerged from his bedroom, fully clothed and hair freshly braided.

"What are you guys doing?" he laughed.

Wufei looked at Heero and raised an eyebrow.

"We were waiting for you." the brunette answered quickly, beckoning Duo over.

"Awful nice of you. Let's get going. I am starving!" the other said, limping in between the two.

Heero caught Wufei shaking his head and glared at him.

**IX. A Kiss In The Rain**

Dinner went very well that night. The five of them had sat there for hours, eating and conversing. Wufei's words echoed in Heero's head throughout the meal, building up a nervous reaction in his belly. He was still anxious about the brief contact between himself and Duo, dreading to be alone with the braided man yet wanting it again all at the same time. He excused himself from the table early, retiring to the safety of his bedroom. He just couldn't handle Duo at the moment. His icy shell melted oh so slightly the longer he was around the other man. That was his reasoning as he excused himself from the table and locked himself away in the sanctity of his bedroom.

"Duo…" he sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned against the door.

He let himself slide to the floor in the darkness. He had never felt so useless in his entire life…and the crazy thing was, it was his own emotions that he had no control over. He heard the footsteps that approached his door, not at all surprised by the knock the followed.

"Yuy. Can I come in?"

Wufei. Heero stood and opened his door, nodding for the other man to enter.

Heero turned on his light and plopped down on his bed dejectedly, running his hands through his wild hair, "I know what you are going to say."

"Oh really? When did you learn to read minds?"

"I need to say something to him. Get this straightened out before I, myself, lose all control over it." Heero groaned.

He heard the Chinese man chuckle, "No, that is not what I was going to say but thank you for clarifying."

He lifted his head enough to glare at him, "Then what did you come here for?"

Wufei shrugged, "I was coming to make sure you were alright. But I guess that answers my question. Do you need to get something off your chest?"

"How do I tell him? We are both men. You don't just go up to someone and tell them that you love them." Heero growled.

"Well…where I don't have your exact problem I kind of know how you feel. Working with Po…" Wufei shrugged, "Things happen."

"You love Sally Po?" Heero questioned.

He wasn't taken aback though. Deep down he knew it was going to happen.

"I do. I just don't have what it takes to tell her. Now, I have found that it is easier to _show_ someone how you feel." Wufei continued, "While you are out tomorrow…_show_ him how you feel. For some reason I have a feeling that Maxwell won't turn you down."

"Why? Not like he's scared of me." Heero snorted.

"The exact opposite, as a matter of fact. You don't see it because you are too busy avoiding his eyes, but it's just like Barton and Winner. There's something there, something you have to nourish and help prosper before it withers away." Wufei reasoned.

Heero gasped, "You've seen something? Between him and I?"

"Yes. But I won't help you any more on this. You have to be the one to initiate it, not me. It's like I told Barton---"

"You told Trowa?!"

Wufei held a hand up to silence him, "Calm down, I told him nothing of you and Maxwell. It is not my place to say anything, you have my word. I had a similar discussion with Barton over Quatre."

"Oh? And what did he say?"

"Not much really." Wufei answered, crossing his arms, "He didn't have anything to say. But I planted the seed nonetheless. I don't like to see people suffer, especially over something that can be helped."

Heero stood and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Wufei…you are a true friend."

"And it's my job _as _your friend to not let you suffer. Tomorrow is your big day, Yuy. Show Maxwell how you really feel."

**********

Heero's sleep had been troublesome that night. After Wufei had left his room he had gone straight to bed, tossing and turning all night long with the braided man on his mind. How exactly was he going to _show _him how much he loves him? He tossed various scenarios up in his head, none ending in his liking. He prayed that Duo changed his mind and didn't feel like going with him.

But his prayers were denied when he ventured out of his room and saw Duo lounging on the couch across from Quatre. He was dressed in jeans and a deep blue button down top, ready to go.

"Good morning, Heero!" he was the first to greet.

"Good morning!" Quatre echoed.

"Morning." Heero replied.

"I didn't know if you'd ever wake up. Waffles has already left on his little shopping spree." Duo informed.

Heero nodded, "So…are you still wanting to go?"

He had to make sure.

Duo winked at him, "You better believe it. Can't get rid of me that easily. I'm actually looking forward to spending some quality time with ya!"

_At least one of us is. _Heero thought to himself.

"Well…are you ready to leave now?"

"You bet." Duo exclaimed, standing, "And thanks again for the money, Quat. I promise I won't spend too much and I will pay you back for what I do."

Quatre shook his head, "I told you already. Don't worry about it. I am doing it as a friend."

"Okay, okay. But don't say I didn't try." the braided man sighed.

"Never."

The blonde let out a cry of surprise when Duo gathered him up in a hug.

"You rock, Quat."

"Thank you."

"No. Thank _you_."

"Well. We're out. Catch ya later, Quat."

Duo walked to the door, fighting a limp, but succeeding nonetheless. Heero followed him outside, coming to a stop beside Duo who stood just by the awaiting limousine.

"Something wrong?"

Duo turned to look at him, "You know…I think I would rather walk. I need to stretch anyways."

Heero nodded, "Alright. I will let Quatre know though so he won't worry if he sees his driver about."

He turned on his heel, stepping back into the mansion, "Qu---"

He closed his mouth and shrunk back behind the door at the sight that greeted him. There Quatre stood just in the hallway, wrapped in someone's arms, lost in a deep kiss. The flow of bangs that hid his face gave the identity of the other right away. Quietly, Heero closed the door and made his way back to Duo.

"Everything okay?" the other questioned.

"Yeah. Quatre was busy. I will just let the driver know."

They explained to the man that they wanted to walk and he agreed to let Quatre know in time. The two of them walked out into the city, keeping to the sidewalk and avoiding large crowds for Duo's sake.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Heero finally asked when he spotted a small café on the street corner.

"Nope."

"How about it?" Heero nodded to the building.

Duo smiled, "Sure. Looks good."

They entered the café and was seated, picking up the menus and ordering drinks.

"Hey…I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Order the cheeseburger for me, will ya?" Duo said, standing and hobbling to the restroom.

"Hi there. Do you handsome young men know what you want today?" the waitress greeted, whipping out her pad of paper and pen.

"Two cheeseburgers with fries, please."

The woman, a busty redhead with blue eyes, wrote it down, smiling at him as she left to put their order in. Heero sipped on his drink, plucking up a packet of sugar and flattening it against the table. He continued doing this, stacking them atop one another until a commotion caught his attention and he looked up to see Duo walking away from the counter, away from a couple of waitresses who were smiling at himself.

Heero blinked at him, "What did you say to them?"

"Oh, nothing." Duo replied.

He pulled an ink pen out of his pants pocket and began doodling on the placemat before him, drawing various pictures of crosses and a disfigured Deathscythe. Their food arrived shortly after and Duo dived into it as if he were a starving child. He finished way before Heero did and sat there, staring out the window.

"Are you alright?" Heero asked softly.

"Hm?" Duo gave him a sidelong glance, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You're quiet. You never used to be this way."

Duo snorted a laugh, "You actually miss it? During the war I thought you couldn't stand me."

Heero shook his head, "No. It's not like that at all…"

Duo straightened and gave him a questioning look.

"I mean…during the war I was following protocol. I had to focus on the mission. I'm…sorry if it seemed like I didn't like you."

God. He hoped he wasn't blushing.

"Yeah…I didn't take any offense though. You were like that to everyone, even Relena." Duo replied.

"I was only doing as I was told."

There was a pause and then Heero had Duo's finger in his face.

"You know…_I _should be the one asking _you_ if _you_ are alright. I mean…I think that you've spoken more in the past couple of days than you did in the _entire _war."

Heero grabbed that finger and brought his hand down, "I know. Believe it or not it's because I've been worried about you."

Duo was taken aback, "Worried? About me?"

"Yes."

Duo averted his gaze, "…You shouldn't worry about me, Heero."

Heero squeezed his finger a little bit harder, "And thus I am back to asking you once again if _you _are okay. You have never called me by my name. It has always been a nickname."

Duo jumped at the array of giggles from the waitresses and they both looked at them, meeting gazes with the one tending to them as she sauntered up to the table and laid their check on the table.

"Here you go, sugar." she slid it to Heero, "Don't mind us. You boys squabble like an old married couple. It's just so adorable."

Prussian eyes met violet, "I think it's time to go."

"Yeah. I'm with ya on that one."

They stood and Heero paid, laying a tip down on the table before they left the café.

"That was weird, huh." Duo commented once they were outside.

"Gossiping hens." Heero growled, "So where are you wanting to go to shop?"

Duo shrugged, "Matters not to me. How about we just stop in at each place we come across? Make a circle."

"That sounds like a plan."

The two of them walked on and came to a men's clothing store not too long after. They entered and were greeted by salesmen, whom they brushed off immediately and went about their own business. Heero snatched up what caught his eye, knowing his exact size and going with it. Duo, however, grabbed a couple of sizes in each piece and had to try them on. He was only in the fitting room for a couple of minutes and came out with only a couple pairs of jeans and shirts.

"After all that, that's all you're going to get?" Heero questioned with a smirk.

"Hey…if I'm going to be wearing it might as well get something I like." Duo pointed at Heero's own armload of clothing, "And look at you, plain and simple. Why not live a little?"

"I find nothing wrong with my fashion sense."

"Yeah, that's because it doesn't exist. You should let me pick an outfit out for you."

_Just say no. Just say no and leave…_

"Okay."

Duo cackled, "Nice! Follow me."

Duo drug him over to the more younger section and ravaged the racks until he found something that scratched his itch.

"Here you go. Try this on."

Heero accepted the shirt and jeans from him and walked steadily to his own fitting room where he began stripping down. When he got a good look at the shirt he wanted to croak. At least one size too small, it sported a multi colored skull and crossbones on it's side with a handful of stars strewn about the shoulder. And the jeans looked as if a rabid animal had gotten a hold of them and then thrown up on them with neon green vomit.

"Duo." he called through the door.

"Yeah, Heero?" the other answered.

"What did you get me to try on?"

"Oh just a little something different. Try it on, I'm sure it'll look amazing."

That time, Heero knows that a blush lit up his cheeks. He could see it in the damn mirror. Despite his better reasoning, he tried the thing on anyway. If to appease Duo. But once the garments were on his mind did a slight flip. Whereas the shirt was too small, it accentuated his muscular arms and chest, plus he could see the contours of his lean stomach through the material. The pants hid even less than that.

And thus the male of the species often shows off in order win over his assumed mate.

Heero warily opened the door as if he expected an OZ soldier on the other side, but it was no soldier that greeted him. Only Duo, watching him appreciatively with a sly grin on his lips.

It is often the chosen mate will show interest only within a couple of seconds.

"Looking good, man."

Heero ducked his head and closed the door, switching back to his original clothing quickly. He exited the fitting room flustered.

"Let's go."

"Well? What did _you_ think about it?" Duo teased.

He still had that grin on his face.

"It wasn't bad. I guess I can get it to wear when I want to relax."

Heero made a beeline for the cash register, paying for his garments as well as Duo's. After all, the other man hadn't picked a lot out.

"Have a nice day." the cashier bid them as they headed out the door.

"So we go this way for the next one, right?" Duo asked once they were outside.

Almost on cue as a response, the imitation sunlight faded and the sound of thunder drew heads to the 'sky'. Slowly, one by one, small droplets of water fell and the people on the streets rushed on to their destinations before they got soaked.

"Wow, perfect timing, huh?" Duo laughed, holding one of his bags over his head.

Heero didn't bother. He had two bags and they were full, unable to provide much of a shield against the rain.

"Man, this is something. It never rained on L-2."

After testing the rain, which begun coming down harder, with his hand Duo removed his own bag from his head and smiled at Heero, "No sense in me staying dry when you have to get all wet."

Heero smiled at him. It was a genuine, happy smile.

"Let's go."

He grabbed Duo by the hand and drug the other man across the road, dodging cars and other people until they came to the artificial grass of a small park. He could hear Duo laughing behind him as they slid a bit in mid stride. Finally Heero's luck ran out and he fell to the ground, skidding up some of the mock land and cackling when Duo tripped over him and landed on the ground as well. Pieces of grass and bits of mud showered over them and Heero ran fingers through his soaking wet hair.

"Aw, my leg." Duo chuckled despite the pain he had to be feeling.

"No use trying to find shelter now, huh?" he said between snickers.

"Nope." Duo answered.

Heero stood and extended a hand. Duo accepted it gratefully and pulled himself up. Heero didn't release that hand when Duo tried to pull it away, instead bringing the appendage close to his chest. Close to his heart. And Duo didn't object. Instead he took a tentative step closer, raising his head.

"Heero…" he whispered.

Heero leaned closer, "Duo…do you want me to stop?"

"No."

The word was barely uttered before Heero planted their lips together, a moan sounding deep in his throat as he pulled the other man closer to his body. The bags forgotten, fallen onto the ground, he wrapped his other arm around Duo's waist, slipping his hand underneath his sopping shirt to touch that creamy skin. And Duo didn't mind, repeating Heero's actions and using his own remaining arm to dig his fingers into Heero's drenched hair.

Heero broke away to nuzzle his ear, "Duo…I love you."

Duo's body went lax and for a moment Heero panicked.

The braided man pulled away, red rimmed eyes giving away the tears that mixed with the rain, "I love you too, Heero."

**X. Half Truths And Whole Lies**

Heero opened the door to Quatre's mansion silently, peering around.

"It's clear. Let's go."

Duo walked in behind him, their fingers interlocked at one hand with their bags clutched in the other, and Heero closed the door. They broke contact to remove their shoes and snuck through the main room down the hallway, disappearing into Duo's bedroom and locking the door briskly behind them. When Heero turned around Duo pulled him close once again, kissing him. Heero closed his eyes, leaning into the kiss.

But it was over as quickly as it began as Duo pulled away, "We should probably get out of these clothes. Don't want to catch a chill, you know?"

The braided man stepped into the bathroom, leaving the door open as he began shedding his clothes. Heero stepped in behind him and took his own clothes off down to his boxers.

He stopped Duo from unbraiding his hair, "Here. Let me."

Duo lowered his hands and let Heero take over, unweaving the braid slowly and carefully.

"You know…I've never let anyone touch my hair before." he finally said.

He gripped the edge of the sink tightly.

"Any particular reason why you are letting me?" Heero asked.

He slid his fingers through Duo's wet tresses before grabbing a brush.

"…Because you are special to me."

Heero hit a tangle but charily got it out.

"You are special to me too, Duo. I never really realized that until we got you back, though. And Wufei helped me to see that I love you."

He saw Duo close his eyes in the mirror.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Those gorgeous violet eyes opened and met his in the mirror.

"…Yeah."

**********

"_I'm coming up on that old ship now. I can't believe this thing hasn't been picked through already."_

"_Just be careful out there, Duo." Howard warned through his communications unit, "You went pretty far out just to scrap up that old ship. If something happens it will take us hours to get to you."_

"_I got it under control, man." Duo said._

_He guided his ship closer to the beaten down clunker, coming to a stop right beside it. After checking his space suit to make sure the oxygen tank had plenty of time left on it he connected the lifeline and exited his craft, a crowbar clutched in one of his hands. He landed smoothly at the clunker's door and pried it open easily. The first thing he noticed was a blinking red light beside him._

"_Howard, man…something's going off."_

"_It's probably an old alarm system. I'm surprised it still has power."_

_Duo shrugged it off and flung himself down the corridor, stopping himself at the first open door. He narrowed his eyes at the empty cargo hold and moved on to the next room. Pieces of an upturned bed floated about but otherwise nothing._

"_Howard, I think…"_

_His earpiece suddenly shrieked, occasionally breaking off in static._

"_Howard?" he gasped, trying to hear the other man's voice._

_But it was not Howard's voice that he heard, but a completely different one, "Duo Maxwell, ex pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe. I knew that you couldn't pass up such an opportunity."_

_And it was behind him._

**********

Duo turned to face Heero, sweeping up a strand of hair to tuck behind his ears. He lay a hand on Heero's cheek and arched himself up to kiss the other man.

**********

"_Who are you and how in the fuck do you know who I am?" Duo growled as two thugs pushed him down onto a chair._

_He had been manhandled onto another ship within minutes where more men awaited. His arms were wrestled behind him and handcuffed._

"_Silly question, Mr. Maxwell. I'd like to meet a person who _doesn't _know who or what you are. As far as who _we _are…that will come in due time." the man said._

_Duo could barely see him in the darkness. His only light was from the control panel._

"_What do you want with me?"_

"_All in due time, Mr. Maxwell. All in due time."_

"_Hey, what are you doing?!" Duo exclaimed when the men began taking his spacesuit off._

_His clothes followed suit and the man left with them, leaving Duo in his birthday suit._

"_You son of a bitch. You will tell me what this is all about right now, or so help me God…"_

"_That is quite the statement coming from someone who doesn't believe in God, no isn't it, Mr. Maxwell?"_

**********

Heero clung to his hips and lifted him up to set him down on the sink counter, never breaking their kiss. Duo moaned, welcoming his tongue, meeting it with his own.

**********

"_You will do this for us, Mr. Maxwell. You will do this for us, or we _will _kill them. Starting with your precious---"_

**********

Duo gasped when Heero broke away to nibble at his neck.

"Oh, God, Heero…"

He wrapped his legs around the other man, drawing him closer.

**********

_Deadly blue eyes tore through him, "You remember this, Mr. Maxwell: Failure. Is. Not. An. Option. You fuck this up, and it's all over."_

_They were not like _his _eyes._

**********

Heero picked him up and carried him back to the bedroom, gently laying him down on the bed and leaning back in for a kiss.

"God, Heero, I love you."

**********

"_Greetings, Father."_

_The aging man looked up from his pedestal, staring at the young man that entered his church._

"_Good evening, Son. What brings you here today? I have not seen your face before."_

_The braided man clung to a hospital gown with a bandaged hand. His leg was wrapped in a thick cast._

"_Is everything okay, child?"_

_The man gave a sardonic smile, "Everyone has been asking me that lately. Everything's not okay, Father. It never is for me."_

**********

Duo dug his fingernails into Heero's bare back as tears gathered in his eyes.

**********

"_I am going to do something bad, Father. Something very bad."_

_His voice broke as he began to cry._

_The priest, concerned, gathered him up in a hug, "Whatever it is, my Son, you can be forgiven. You _will _be forgiven."_

_Duo shook his head, "That's just it, Father…I really don't think it will be."_

**********

"…Heero…"

Heero broke away once again, "Duo…are you sure that you want this?"

He noted how Duo's hair fanned out on the bed beneath him like a halo.

"Yes Heero…God, I love you so much."

**********

_Duo had never cried so much in his entire life. The priest stood there by him, comforting him, telling him that everything was going to be alright. Telling him that no matter what, he will be forgiven and his past sins will be washed away._

**********

Duo screamed in pure ecstasy when Heero latched onto a nipple and he dug his fingernails deeper into his back.

**********

_Duo snuck by the butler and down the hallway, quickly scanning each room for his target. He found it quickly: a desktop computer in Quatre's library. He closed the door behind him and sat down in the chair. It took him no time to bring up what he was looking for and break through the security system. _

_He cursed when he hit a wall, "Damn it. I can't access them from here. I'll have to go to the Preventers branch on this colony."_

_His head turned when he heard the door to the patio slam open and angry footsteps retreat in the direction of his bedroom._

"_Shit."_

_He quickly deleted the history and closed his window down, activating the computer's sleep mode before rushing to open the door, where he came face to face with Heero._

"_Hey, Heero."_

**********

"Oh, Heero." Duo moaned, gripping handfuls of hair.

**********

_Duo stood from the table and approached the bathroom, snagging up a beaten up telephone directory from the payphone on the way. He locked himself in the room, reading through the yellow pages until he found what he was looking for._

_**PREVETERS HEADQUARTERS - L-4 DIVISION…100 STARS VIEW ST.**_

_He closed the book and dumped it into the garbage can, flushing the toilet. He exited the bathroom, giving a sidelong look to Heero before approaching the waitresses behind the counter._

"_Hey, ladies. I don't want to let my friend over there know that I asked you, but…he was just transferred here from his Preventers unit on Earth and we are needing to find the one here on L-4. I read where it was on 100 Stars View Street and I was wondering if you could tell me how to get there."_

"_Yeah, hon, it's on the other side of town. Just take this road right here," one nodded to the outside of the restaurant, "and it'll take you right into downtown. The Preventers office is right there with the courthouse and police station."_

"_That's so sweet of you, asking for directions to help him out. What, is he too proud to?" the other cooed._

_Duo gave his best, fake smile, "Yeah. Hardheaded. I will just point us in that direction so we can 'accidentally' find it." he winked, "Like I said…just don't let on that I talked to you about it, okay?"_

"_Sure thing."_

_Heero looked at him as he got back to the table, "What did you say to them?"_

"_Oh, nothing."_

**********

Heero stopped. Confused, Duo opened his eyes. The two stared at each other.

"Duo…why are you crying?"

**********

"_Starting with your precious partner during the war, Heero Yuy."_

**********

Duo pushed Heero away, closing his eyes and keeping his head bowed.

"I-I'm sorry, Heero. I can't…"

"Is this not what you wanted?" Heero asked.

His voice started to crack.

"I do…but…"

Heero lay down beside Duo, wrapping the other in an embrace and pulling him close.

"Tell me what is wrong, Duo. I want to help you."

"I don't deserve anyone's help." Duo sobbed.

He covered his face with his hands. He felt the bed shift as Heero got up, the shop bag rustle as Heero removed some clothing from it.

"I'm sorry, Duo. I shouldn't have pushed this onto you."

He pulled his pants up and threw a shirt on, trying to mask the hurt he felt. He never heard Duo get up, nor felt the sting of the blow to his neck. The braided man caught him so he would not fall, and dragged him over to the bed.

"I'm so sorry, Heero. But I can't let you dig yourself further into this than you already are. I love you so much."

He kissed those unresponsive lips.

"…So much."

**XI. Breaking And Entering**

Duo made it out of the mansion without incident and was back out into the rain. He hugged Heero's Preventers jacket close to his body, pulling the cap out of its pocket to pull over his head, tucking his thick braid underneath it. Heero's boots were a bit too big for him but they served their purpose, especially so that he was able to squeeze his cast down into one as long as he didn't wear a sock. He gave Heero's ID card one last look before clipping it onto his uniform and limping briskly off of the property. He followed the tracks they took earlier that day back to the café, refusing to look at it as he passed by and walked on down the street in the direction of Stars View St. The Preventers building came into view and he crossed the road to it, doing his best to hide his limp as he climbed the stone staircase to the front doors.

No one paid him no mind as he walked through the foyer, doing his best not to let worry cause him to screw up. He made a beeline for the elevator, trying to remember the words that were etched into his mind only months ago.

"_What we want will be in the Logistics Department of the Preventers Headquarters. I know quite well of your hacking skills. I am sure you can easily access it from one of their computers. Get that to us and destroy what information they have."_

Duo sighed as he swiped Heero's ID card, gaining himself access to the elevator. When the door opened he stepped inside, thankfully alone, and browsed the various buttons until he found the one he was looking for.

4: LOGISTICS DEPARTMENT

He pushed the button and as the doors closed he unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself, fighting a wave of nausea.


End file.
